All residence permits for educational purposes are tied to a specific purpose and are time-limited. Residence permits for studies cease to be valid in the following cases:
- after the expiration date
- when the holder leaves Switzerland
- when they are revoked, especially where the authorities consider that the purpose of the stay has been achieved
- on judicial expulsion In practice, permits are issued for short periods (1 year maximum).
Students therefore have to apply for renewal of their permit to the cantonal migration authority (in Geneva, the OCPM), see the section about procedures. The authorities will then check whether the conditions for issuing a permit are still being met and whether the purpose of the stay has already been achieved.