The Swiss Federal Council has quietly confirmed that the headline quotas governing how many non-EU/EFTA nationals, EU/EFTA service-providers and British citizens can be hired in Switzerland will remain exactly the same in 2026 as this year. Under the revised Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Activity (OASA), employers will again have access to 8 500 authorisations for highly-skilled professionals from outside the EU/EFTA—4 500 B-residence permits for assignments of more than 12 months and 4 000 L-short-term permits for stays of up to a year. In parallel, Bern rolled over two special envelopes: 3 000 L- and 500 B-permits for EU/EFTA service-providers posted to Switzerland for more than 120 days, and a bespoke “Brexit buffer” of 1 400 L and 2 100 B permits reserved for UK nationals.
Quota figures are often released only a few weeks before the start of a new year, making workforce planning a headache for multinationals with Swiss hubs in Zürich, Basel and Geneva. Publishing the 2026 numbers 13 months in advance allows HR teams to map head-count needs, pre-collect documentation and launch early-January filings. Business immigration managers say the announcement is especially helpful for project-driven sectors such as life-sciences, fintech and advanced manufacturing, where global talent pipelines must be lined up months ahead.
![Bern freezes 2026 work-permit quotas, giving employers rare planning certainty]()
Cantonal migration offices emphasise, however, that an unchanged national ceiling does not remove local bottlenecks. In 2025 the nationwide utilisation rate for third-country quotas was only 74 %, yet popular categories in Zürich and Vaud still ran dry in late autumn. Employers are therefore advised to monitor real-time quota burn at cantonal level and file complete applications as soon as the electronic “wallets” reopen on 2 January.
Politically, the freeze signals that the Federal Council sees no appetite for tightening access to foreign specialists just one year before the October 2026 federal elections. Right-leaning parties have floated proposals to cut quotas by 10 %, but the government prefers stability while labour shortages persist in ICT, healthcare and engineering. That stance may change after the elections, so companies would be wise to use the current predictability to secure critical staff while they can.
For global mobility teams the takeaway is clear: Switzerland’s highly selective but transparent permit system will remain stable for at least one more year, enabling more accurate assignment budgeting, salary benchmarking and onboarding timetables.
Quota figures are often released only a few weeks before the start of a new year, making workforce planning a headache for multinationals with Swiss hubs in Zürich, Basel and Geneva. Publishing the 2026 numbers 13 months in advance allows HR teams to map head-count needs, pre-collect documentation and launch early-January filings. Business immigration managers say the announcement is especially helpful for project-driven sectors such as life-sciences, fintech and advanced manufacturing, where global talent pipelines must be lined up months ahead.
Cantonal migration offices emphasise, however, that an unchanged national ceiling does not remove local bottlenecks. In 2025 the nationwide utilisation rate for third-country quotas was only 74 %, yet popular categories in Zürich and Vaud still ran dry in late autumn. Employers are therefore advised to monitor real-time quota burn at cantonal level and file complete applications as soon as the electronic “wallets” reopen on 2 January.
Politically, the freeze signals that the Federal Council sees no appetite for tightening access to foreign specialists just one year before the October 2026 federal elections. Right-leaning parties have floated proposals to cut quotas by 10 %, but the government prefers stability while labour shortages persist in ICT, healthcare and engineering. That stance may change after the elections, so companies would be wise to use the current predictability to secure critical staff while they can.
For global mobility teams the takeaway is clear: Switzerland’s highly selective but transparent permit system will remain stable for at least one more year, enabling more accurate assignment budgeting, salary benchmarking and onboarding timetables.
