On 26 November the Italian Senate gave final approval to the 2025 Flussi Decree, turning months of debate into law. The decree sets the legal framework for almost half-a-million non-EU workers who will enter Italy between 2026 and 2028 under the quota programme published in October.
Key features mirror the Simplification Law passed a day later: a maximum 30-day deadline for nulla osta processing on nominative applications; a 12-month window—extended from six—for trainees to request entry visas after completing Italy-funded courses abroad; and longer, one-year residence permits for victims of labour exploitation and trafficking.
![Senate passes 2025 Flussi Decree, locking in three-year work-visa overhaul]()
For employers, the decree offers targeted derogations from the 2002 Bossi–Fini law, long criticised for rigidity. Seasonal agriculture and construction firms will see streamlined hiring, while family-owned SMEs gain simplified renewal rules for trusted workers already in the country.
The opposition accused the government of "opening the floodgates" without sufficient integration funding, but business associations welcomed the certainty offered ahead of the 2026 quota "click day" expected in spring.
Immigration advisers urge HR departments to review internal workflows quickly: with processing clocks starting earlier and ticking faster, incomplete applications could now lead to automatic refusal rather than a request for further documents.
Key features mirror the Simplification Law passed a day later: a maximum 30-day deadline for nulla osta processing on nominative applications; a 12-month window—extended from six—for trainees to request entry visas after completing Italy-funded courses abroad; and longer, one-year residence permits for victims of labour exploitation and trafficking.
For employers, the decree offers targeted derogations from the 2002 Bossi–Fini law, long criticised for rigidity. Seasonal agriculture and construction firms will see streamlined hiring, while family-owned SMEs gain simplified renewal rules for trusted workers already in the country.
The opposition accused the government of "opening the floodgates" without sufficient integration funding, but business associations welcomed the certainty offered ahead of the 2026 quota "click day" expected in spring.
Immigration advisers urge HR departments to review internal workflows quickly: with processing clocks starting earlier and ticking faster, incomplete applications could now lead to automatic refusal rather than a request for further documents.
