Stay of Ukrainians in Switzerland

/by

The Swiss government has decided not to withdraw the S protection status for Ukrainian refugees before 4 March 2026 and to extend the support measures for this group of people (S programme) until then.

This means that Ukrainian refugees can continue to work under the S status, if a working permit was granted. The risk remains, that when the war in Ukraine ends, their S Status will be ceased, and they will have to return home.

Because of this situation, many companies are trying to obtain a B permit for their concerned Ukrainian employees, if they are employed and doing a good job, in order to secure their stay in Switzerland.

An application for a B permit is possible under restrictive conditions:

  • Proof of a search in the EU / EFTA
  • Lack of local specialists for the position
  • Overall economic interest

The above points are unfortunately subjective and are applied differently by each canton. We recommend that you only do this if the salary you are offering is high enough.

Companies that want to obtain for their Ukrainian employees a B permit, but don’t want to pay them as specialists above market, will unfortunately fail.

IHRS advises you on all aspects of international employment. We are happy to provide you with further information.