Switzerland migration data shows 82% of Kosovars settled via family reunification

Official statistics from the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for 2025 reveal that 81.9% of Kosovar citizens obtaining long-term residence permits in Switzerland did so through family reunification. This accounted for 1,538 individuals from Kosovo.

In contrast, only 18% of Kosovar migrants settled through other channels. This includes approximately 7% through employment, 5% for education and training, and 6% for other reasons such as humanitarian or medical grounds. The data highlights that direct access to the Swiss labor market remains highly restricted for Kosovar citizens due to strict annual quotas for third-country nationals and legal preference given to Swiss citizens.

On a broader scale, family reunification represented 25.5% of total immigration for the permanent foreign resident population in Switzerland in 2025. While employment was the primary driver for overall Swiss immigration, net immigration for the foreign population decreased by approximately 10.5% compared to the previous year.