Low Swiss work permit uptake among British residents: An examination of reasons
After leaving the EU, British citizens no longer had unlimited access to the Swiss job market. Instead, the Swiss government reserved 3,500 permits out of the 12,000 allocated to all third countries specifically for UK nationals. These include 2,100 B and 1,400 L permits. However, these permits have hardly been used.
So, how many work permits have been given to UK nationals out of their total quota? Since 2021, only about 18 percent of the permits made available to Britons by all cantons have been taken up, according to SEM. That's significantly lower compared to other non-EU/EFTA nationals combined.
In 2024, third-country quotas excluding those set aside for the UK were used at a rate of up to 79% for B permits and 69% for L-permits. With so few Brits taking up the work permits available, one has to wonder why this is?
The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) provided some insights, but no detailed study has been conducted on this matter among Swiss companies. Nevertheless, Swiss labor market needs and demands could be a significant factor. Switzerland mainly allocates quotas to highly qualified workers, particularly in sectors like IT, engineering, and the pharmaceutical industry.
The UK labor market may not offer as many skilled workers in these sectors. Additionally, it's assumed that relatively few Britons have experience working in multilingual environments, as this is often required in Switzerland.
Another factor could be Brexit itself. Swiss companies may now be focusing more on the EU labor market due to easier recruitment after Brexit. Many companies likely adapted their recruitment strategies following Brexit, and may be preferring Irish or Scandinavian workers, as English language skills are important for jobs in Switzerland.
It's worth noting that not all UK nationals working in Switzerland are counted in the work permit statistics. An online notification procedure for service providers from the UK, which was implemented after the SMA agreement, makes short-term work assignments (up to 90 days) in Switzerland exempt from the quota system.
Some UK nationals are indeed denied a work permit after applying, with the canton of Geneva dealing with 609 requests from Britons between 2021 and 2024, 544 of which were granted and 65 rejected. Reasons for rejection include a lack of required qualifications or experience, or failure to contribute sufficiently to the Swiss economy.
These quotas that Switzerland has been setting aside specifically for Britons since 2021 will eventually be absorbed into the general third-country 'pot'. The date for this change has not yet been decided.
Finally, it would be beneficial to consult official sources like the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs or the UK Government's guidance on living and working in Switzerland for more detailed information about the number of work permits issued to UK nationals and any specifics related to the Swiss-UK bilateral agreement.
In 2021, only about 18% of the work permits allocated for British citizens in Switzerland were taken up, indicating a low utilization rate. Swiss labor market needs and demands, the requirement for multilingual experience, Brexit's impact on recruitment strategies, and insufficient qualifications or economic contribution are potential factors for this low uptake. The Swiss work permit quotas set aside for Britons since 2021 will eventually be absorbed into the general third-country 'pot'.
