The Swiss government has announced the quotas for highly qualified workers from non-European Union/European Free Trade Agreement countries, as well as for assignees from EU/EFTA countries. The quotas announced are the same as those for 2015. 2016 quotas for non-EU/EFTA nationals In 2016 companies in Switzerland can recruit foreign national specialists from non-EU/EFTA countries up to the following national quotas: 4,000 L permits 2,500 B permits As in previous years, half of the quota will be allocated to the cantons, with the other half kept as a Federal Reserve. 2016 quotas for EU/EFTA national assignees The quotas for assignees from EU/EFTA countries to Switzerland for more than 90 and 120 days have also remained the same as for 2015: 2,000 L permits 250 B permits These quotas will be allocated to the cantons on a quarterly basis, as before. Please note the quotas for 2016 and expect a continuation of the strict qualifying criteria seen in 2015. Plan, as always, to submit work permit applications in good time to avoid issues. This summary was prepared using information obtained from the ch.ch website. Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact the Regional Immigration Manager, EMEA, Vladimir Dziak.