Late in the evening of November 18, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies converted Decree-Law 146/2025 into ordinary legislation, and the text was published on November 20. The measure marks the most ambitious overhaul of Italy’s labour-migration rules in more than a decade.
Background and key provisions
Italy has used annual ‘Decreto Flussi’ quota decrees since 1998, but critics say the click-day race for limited slots often leaves genuine labour needs unmet. Law 146/2025 changes the architecture in three ways:
1. A standing, three-year quota programme replaces single-year decrees, giving employers and regional authorities visibility through 2028.
2. An additional 10,000 “extra-quota” permits per year are reserved for domestic caregivers—now widened to include babysitters for children under six—reflecting Italy’s acute demographic and care-sector shortages.
3. Administrative deadlines double from 7 to 15 days for employers to confirm job offers and sign the mandatory ‘contract of stay’. Employers that complete training projects abroad can bypass the labour-market test and receive a nulla osta within 30 days.
![Italian Parliament Approves Immigration Decree Expanding ‘Decreto Flussi’ Quotas & Fast-Tracking Work Permits]()
Compliance and enforcement
The National Labour Inspectorate receives new powers to run ex-ante checks on companies before the coveted quota numbers are released. Black-listed employers are filtered out automatically, which officials say will reduce fraud cases that have plagued previous click-days.
Practical implications for business
• Household-services agencies and families should assemble documentation now; the extra-quota caregiver channel is expected to open in January and demand will be high.
• Agriculture, construction and hospitality firms gain a predictable pipeline of seasonal and non-seasonal workers through 2028, allowing multi-year workforce planning.
• HR and global-mobility teams must revise onboarding workflows: the longer employer-confirmation window helps, but the Inspectorate’s pre-screening means incomplete or inconsistent filings are more likely to be rejected outright.
• Companies that sponsor graduates of Italian-funded training programmes abroad can now recruit without proving unavailability of local labour, making overseas talent partnerships more attractive.
What happens next
The Senate is expected to give final approval in early December. Implementation guidelines will follow in the Official Gazette, including the specific ‘click-day’ timetable for 2026 quotas (draft dates leaked to industry bodies are 12 and 16 February for seasonal entries and 18 February for domestic workers). Employers should monitor Interior-Ministry circulars and prepare to test the new portal, which is being upgraded to handle three-year planning data.
Background and key provisions
Italy has used annual ‘Decreto Flussi’ quota decrees since 1998, but critics say the click-day race for limited slots often leaves genuine labour needs unmet. Law 146/2025 changes the architecture in three ways:
1. A standing, three-year quota programme replaces single-year decrees, giving employers and regional authorities visibility through 2028.
2. An additional 10,000 “extra-quota” permits per year are reserved for domestic caregivers—now widened to include babysitters for children under six—reflecting Italy’s acute demographic and care-sector shortages.
3. Administrative deadlines double from 7 to 15 days for employers to confirm job offers and sign the mandatory ‘contract of stay’. Employers that complete training projects abroad can bypass the labour-market test and receive a nulla osta within 30 days.
Compliance and enforcement
The National Labour Inspectorate receives new powers to run ex-ante checks on companies before the coveted quota numbers are released. Black-listed employers are filtered out automatically, which officials say will reduce fraud cases that have plagued previous click-days.
Practical implications for business
• Household-services agencies and families should assemble documentation now; the extra-quota caregiver channel is expected to open in January and demand will be high.
• Agriculture, construction and hospitality firms gain a predictable pipeline of seasonal and non-seasonal workers through 2028, allowing multi-year workforce planning.
• HR and global-mobility teams must revise onboarding workflows: the longer employer-confirmation window helps, but the Inspectorate’s pre-screening means incomplete or inconsistent filings are more likely to be rejected outright.
• Companies that sponsor graduates of Italian-funded training programmes abroad can now recruit without proving unavailability of local labour, making overseas talent partnerships more attractive.
What happens next
The Senate is expected to give final approval in early December. Implementation guidelines will follow in the Official Gazette, including the specific ‘click-day’ timetable for 2026 quotas (draft dates leaked to industry bodies are 12 and 16 February for seasonal entries and 18 February for domestic workers). Employers should monitor Interior-Ministry circulars and prepare to test the new portal, which is being upgraded to handle three-year planning data.
