Federal Council: 334,5 million for integration 2028-2032 (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• 25 September 2026: 334.5 million francs allocated
• PIC 4: 66.9 million per year from 2028 to 2032
• More funding for language, education and employment
• Employment of immigrants at 77% in the OECD area

Key facts

• Decision → total commitment credit of 334.5 million francs
• Period → 2028-2032
• PIC 4 → 66.9 million francs per year
• Cantons → 37.3 million francs per year for the PICs
• National programmes → 29.6 million francs per year
• PIC 3 → ends at the end of 2027
• PIC 4 basic document → adopted on 18 September 2026

On 25 September 2026, in Bern, the Federal Council announced an increase in federal and cantonal funding for integration promotion. The decision concerns the 2028-2032 period and translates into a total commitment credit of 334.5 million francs for the cantonal integration programmes, the PICs, and for other programmes and projects of national importance.

For PIC 4, the Confederation is planning 66.9 million francs per year for integration measures. The increase compared with the current period is 5.4 million per year. The statement links the increase in funding to the need to enable a greater number of people to benefit from integration promotion.

The allocation distinguishes between cantonal programmes and initiatives of national scope. The Cantons are allocated 37.3 million francs per year for the PICs, with priority given to language promotion, information and counselling, as well as educational and professional integration. The cantonal contribution to the financing of PIC 4 must be at least equal to that of the Confederation.

Objectives set with the Cantons

The PIC 4 basic document indicates two main directions: removing barriers to the integration of women and making greater use of educational pathways for lasting integration into the labour market. The document was drawn up jointly by the Confederation and the Cantons and adopted on 18 September 2026 by the plenary assembly of the Conference of Cantonal Governments, the CdC.

The Confederation is also planning 29.6 million francs per year for national programmes and projects. Among these, the statement mentions the Integration pre-apprenticeship, PTI, designed to make better use of the potential of the domestic workforce.

Since 2014, the PICs have been the central instrument of Swiss integration policy: they coordinate promotion efforts in the Cantons and facilitate immigrants' access to language, education, the labour market and social participation. The figure given for immigrant employment is 77 per cent, one of the highest rates in the OECD area. PIC 3 ends at the end of 2027.

Operational details

For those who live or work in Switzerland, the decision has an impact that is apparent above all in the continuity of the system. PIC 3 end at the end of 2027; the new cycle covers 2028 to 2032. The transition is not presented as an isolated measure, but as a strengthening of the programs that, since 2014, have coordinated the promotion of integration in all cantons.

The first practical level is linguistic and informational. The resources allocated to the PICs concern language promotion, information and counseling. These are the areas indicated in the press release to support access to training, the labor market and social participation. The source does not assign amounts to each measure and does not identify the operational timetable for individual cantons: the verifiable fact is the national financial framework and the fact that cantonal funding must be at least equal to federal funding.

Two channels of intervention

The second level is educational and professional. The objective of PIC 4 is to make greater use of training pathways for lasting integration into the labor market. To find one's bearings on the employment side, one can consult annunci di lavoro, while the federal decision identifies educational and professional pathways as a priority. The text does not describe an individual hiring procedure.

There is also a national channel distinct from the cantonal one. The 29,6 million francs per year for programs and projects of national importance include the PTI and aim to harness the potential of the domestic workforce. The reader should therefore not interpret all measures as a single program: the PICs are coordinated in the cantons, while national projects have a distinct function within the framework described by the source.

Attention to women is an explicit objective of the new cycle. The PIC 4 Basic Document speaks of removing barriers to integration, but the source does not list what they are or indicate individual measures already available. This distinction prevents turning the announcement into a promise of automatic access to a course, a service or a job.

The reference to the OECD offers a contextual indicator: with an employment rate of 77 per cent among immigrants, Switzerland is described as one of the countries with the highest shares in the OECD area. The number measures the employment figure indicated by the press release; it does not make it possible to derive results for individual cantons or individual groups. For a separate comparison of daily expenses, costo della vita in Svizzera is available, but that topic is not quantified in the decision.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

To turn the statement into a concrete verification, the reader can follow a short sequence consistent with the available data.

The pathway checklist

1. Define the need. If the priority is language, information, counseling, training or professional access, one is looking at the areas indicated for PICs. If the interest concerns PTI, the reference is instead among the national programs and projects cited by the Confederation.

2. Identify the level. The description of PIC 4 concerns the relationship between the Confederation and the Cantons; cantonal funding must be at least equal to federal funding. This information serves to distinguish the national framework from the concrete cantonal structure, which the source does not detail.

3. Place the request in time. The PIC 3 cycle ends at the end of 2027. The PIC 4 period covers 2028-2032. The date must not be confused with an individual deadline: the statement does not indicate deadlines for submitting personal applications.

4. Read the objectives. The PIC 4 Framework Document, adopted on 18 September 2026 by the plenary of the CdC, focuses attention on the integration of women and on the use of training pathways for lasting integration into the labor market.

5. Separate information and outcome. The source describes funding, recipients and aims, but does not indicate requirements, documents, competent offices, registration procedures or individual allocations. It is therefore not possible to derive a more detailed personal procedure from the announcement alone.

The checklist also serves to avoid confusing national programs with PICs. Anyone looking for an integration pathway can use these categories to formulate a precise request when the implementation information becomes available, distinguishing language, counseling, training, work and PTI.

For the personal financial part, use the calcolatore stipendio/imposte.

Source: admin.ch