L Permit Duration, Transition to B Permit, and Unemployment Eligibility (RAV)

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1

Hello everyone,

I’m from an EU country and have been living in Switzerland for 3 years and 3 months now. I’ve been working on a yearly-renewed contract and recently renewed it again for another year.

I moved to the canton of Aargau 1 year and 11 months ago (almost 2 years), and after submitting my renewed contract, I received another L permit valid for one more year. So far, I’ve had an L permit throughout my stay in Switzerland – meaning by the end of this new contract I will have spent around 4 years with an L permit, and 3 years in Aargau under the same.

However, I’ve read that the L permit is generally limited to 24 months, after which one should receive a B permit. This makes me wonder:

  • Are there exceptions or different rules in certain cantons like Aargau?
  • Is it normal to stay on an L permit for so long when the contract is continuously renewed?
  • With an L permit, am I eligible for unemployment benefits (RAV) if my contract ends or is not renewed?
  • Where can I officially clarify these questions (Migrationsamt, RAV, etc.)?

Additionally, I know that my current job can be extended at most for 1 year and 8 months from today. I’ve noticed that some of my colleagues working in the same job but living in different cantons received a B permit. Would it make sense to move to a different city or canton in order to increase my chances of getting a B permit?

Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

2

Are you on short term job contracts? I think this is the most common reason.

3

Yes, it were yearly contracts renewed each year - each year I have been receiving 1 year long contract so far (4 times)

4

Typically you get L permit when you have a short term/limited contract. Can you get a longer term contract?

5

Thanks for the reply. Probably I need to check. Otherwise looks like that other job with no term can help.

6

I have a friend who has been on short term contracts for at least 20 years. Still on an L permit.

1 Like
7

Thank you for your response. I’m more interested in the following question: If my employment contract and L-permit come to an end, and I don’t have a new job lined up—but I’ve worked in Switzerland for over four years—am I eligible to apply for unemployment benefits? would I be allowed to stay in Switzerland for the duration of the benefit payments, or is there a time limit (e.g. six months or one year)?

8

Are you an EU national? They normally can get a 6 month permit to continue to look for a job and receive unemployment benefits (presumably you contributed enough).

1 Like
9

Yes - EU, thanks for the reply.