On 29 October 2025 the Interior, Labour, Agriculture and Tourism ministries released a joint circular that officially launches the pre-compilation (“pre-compilazione”) phase for 2025 Decreto Flussi applications. Employers can log on to the ALI portal from 1 to 30 November 2025 to prepare nulla-osta requests covering 181,560 quota places spread across non-seasonal, seasonal and self-employment categories. Although the click-days for electronic submission remain 5, 7 and 12 February 2026 (non-seasonal/autonomous, road-haulage and seasonal respectively), the month-long pre-filing window is designed to shorten processing times by allowing immigration offices to run preliminary security and capacity checks before quotas open.
The circular confirms the quota breakdown first set out in the 2 October 2025 Prime-Ministerial Decree: 70,720 places for regular non-seasonal employment, 730 for self-employed activities and 110,000 for seasonal jobs. Employers in tourism and agriculture receive the largest single allocations, reflecting labour shortages that intensified during the 2025 summer season. New this year is a three-application cap per private employer, aimed at curbing speculative filings that clogged the system in 2024.
Documentation requirements are largely unchanged, but the circular stresses the need for digitally signed labour contracts, evidence of suitable accommodation and proof that wages meet national collective-agreement standards. Employers in the road-haulage sector must upload copies of drivers’ licences issued by recognised third-country authorities and commit to completing the Italian driver-qualification card (CQC) after arrival. Failure to attach mandatory documents will automatically place the file “fuori quota,” effectively disqualifying it even if a numerical slot is available.
For global mobility managers the key advantage is predictability: by knowing well in advance whether an application passes the first screening, companies can plan 2026 staffing for projects in Italy’s hospitality, construction and logistics sectors. However, practitioners warn that consular visa issuance remains the principal bottleneck—only 28.9 % of nulla-osta issued in 2024 translated into actual entry visas. Businesses are therefore urged to brief foreign hires early, line up apostilled police certificates and monitor appointment availability at Italian posts abroad.
Looking ahead, the ministries intend to publish real-time quota utilisation statistics on the ALI dashboard, a move welcomed by industry associations that have long called for greater transparency. If the pre-compilation experiment succeeds, officials hint it could become permanent and may be extended to family-reunification and digital-nomad visas, reinforcing Italy’s shift toward multi-year immigration planning.
The circular confirms the quota breakdown first set out in the 2 October 2025 Prime-Ministerial Decree: 70,720 places for regular non-seasonal employment, 730 for self-employed activities and 110,000 for seasonal jobs. Employers in tourism and agriculture receive the largest single allocations, reflecting labour shortages that intensified during the 2025 summer season. New this year is a three-application cap per private employer, aimed at curbing speculative filings that clogged the system in 2024.
Documentation requirements are largely unchanged, but the circular stresses the need for digitally signed labour contracts, evidence of suitable accommodation and proof that wages meet national collective-agreement standards. Employers in the road-haulage sector must upload copies of drivers’ licences issued by recognised third-country authorities and commit to completing the Italian driver-qualification card (CQC) after arrival. Failure to attach mandatory documents will automatically place the file “fuori quota,” effectively disqualifying it even if a numerical slot is available.
For global mobility managers the key advantage is predictability: by knowing well in advance whether an application passes the first screening, companies can plan 2026 staffing for projects in Italy’s hospitality, construction and logistics sectors. However, practitioners warn that consular visa issuance remains the principal bottleneck—only 28.9 % of nulla-osta issued in 2024 translated into actual entry visas. Businesses are therefore urged to brief foreign hires early, line up apostilled police certificates and monitor appointment availability at Italian posts abroad.
Looking ahead, the ministries intend to publish real-time quota utilisation statistics on the ALI dashboard, a move welcomed by industry associations that have long called for greater transparency. If the pre-compilation experiment succeeds, officials hint it could become permanent and may be extended to family-reunification and digital-nomad visas, reinforcing Italy’s shift toward multi-year immigration planning.
