ARTICLE · 31 OCTOBER 2022

CONVINUS Global Mobility Alert Week 43.2022

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In its meeting of October 19, 2022, the Swiss Federal Council decided that foreign university graduates from third countries who have completed a master's degree or doctorate in Switzerland will be granted a quota-free work permit.

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Switzerland / October 27, 2022

Quota- free work permit for graduates from Swiss universities

In its meeting of October 19, 2022, the Swiss Federal Council decided that foreign university graduates from third countries who have completed a master's degree or doctorate in Switzerland will be granted a quota-free work permit. That means they will be exempt from the maximum quotas based on the Foreigners and Integration Act (AIG). The only condition of this exemption is a proven shortage of skilled workers, such as in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) or in the medical field.

Foreign graduates of Swiss universities generally meet the admission requirements of the AIG if they are engaged in gainful employment of high scientific or economic interest. In some cantons, the cantonal labor market authorities waive the requirement to prove that the priority for Swiss nationals has been met, but this arrangement is far from being the rule

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