Most foreigners arrive in Switzerland with a short-term permit (L\u00a0permit) or annually renewable residence permit (B\u00a0permit). In the years following their arrival, they gradually progress to other, long-term types of residence status such as the settlement permit (C\u00a0permit) or Swiss nationality.<\/p>\n
As one would expect, those who already hold a B\u00a0permit when they enter Switzerland remain in the country for longer than those who hold short-term permits.<\/strong> Of this first group, the majority of those who stay in Switzerland obtain a settlement permit after five years of residence. The proportion of naturalized persons in this population is also higher than among those who entered with an L\u00a0permit. By contrast, those who hold a short-term permit are more likely to return to their country of origin<\/strong> (more than half leave Switzerland after just one year) and take longer to obtain a settlement permit.<\/p>\n These results clearly indicate that the different types of permit play the role assigned by migration policy to date \u2013 on the one hand to authorize a short-term stay (L\u00a0permit), and on the other hand as the first stage of a longer term residence (B\u00a0permit)<\/strong>. The recent legislative changes mark a turning point in this respect, as the criteria for obtaining a settlement have become stricter.<\/p>\n It is worth noting that of those who arrived in Switzerland with a B\u00a0permit, 41% left the country after twenty-two years.<\/p>\n How strong is the attachment to Switzerland and the country of origin?<\/a><\/p>\n Do migrants want to become naturalized?<\/a><\/p>\n