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The Swiss authorities have proposed that the country permits all persons, including nationals of third countries, who obtain a master’s or a doctorate degree in an area that is dealing with a shortage of skilled workers to remain and work in Switzerland.
Such a proposal was made by the Federal Council of Switzerland on October 19, and the requirement to amend the Aliens and Integration Act has been based on a demand by the Parliament, which is expected to discuss the bill, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, the Parliament is demanding to make an exception to the quotas for workers from countries outside the European Union and outside the European Free Trade Association, with the motion “if Switzerland trains expensive specialists, they should also be able to work here”.
The authorities stressed that third-country nationals who have finished their master’s and doctoral studies in Switzerland in areas that have a shortage of skilled workers should be excluded from the quotas when they are admitted to the Swiss labour market.
“Third-country nationals trained at universities and ETHS (master’s graduates and doctoral students) from areas with a proven shortage of skilled workers should be excluded from the third-country quotas when they are admitted to the labour market,” the statement of the Federal Department of Justice and Police reads.
According to the Swiss authorities, apart from the graduates, the exception to the maximum number of foreign university graduates permitted to stay in the country and work in markets dealing with shortages is in the interest of Switzerland too.
“The change to the regulation proposed here corresponds to the interests of Switzerland as a business location. The people concerned were trained in our academic institutions and are usually already well integrated into Swiss society,” the Department added.
Additionally, it was pointed out that this group of nationals of third countries permitted to stay and work in Switzerland is limited to between 200 and 300 people per year.
Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that it is more difficult for graduates to find a job in Switzerland than in most other countries. Data showed that three in ten graduates with a master’s degree at a Swiss university or another educational institute that was obtained after 2020 found it difficult to find a job that met their expectations.
This situation is not common for graduates with an education diploma, as according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, only one in ten people were affected.