In a move that could reshape talent-acquisition pipelines for Italian employers, the Ministry of Labour on 27 November 2025 published an inter-ministerial decree that exempts certain foreign nationals of Italian descent from the annual immigration quota system (Decreto Flussi). Effective immediately, citizens of Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Uruguay who can prove lineal descent from an Italian citizen may apply for subordinate employment visas outside the numerical ceilings that normally cap non-EU admissions.
The decree implements Article 27(1-octies) of Italy’s Consolidated Immigration Act, a little-used provision revived during this year’s overhaul of citizenship rules. Officials justified the measure by citing the “relevant and enduring” Italian communities in the seven target countries, each home to over 100,000 AIRE-registered nationals. By decoupling these applicants from quota lotteries and click-day crushes, the government hopes to channel culturally connected, Italian-speaking talent into sectors battling chronic labour shortages—most notably hospitality, specialised manufacturing and elder care.
![Italy Opens ‘Out-of-Quota’ Work Permits for Descendants of Italian Emigrants]()
For employers, the change removes two of the biggest pain points in cross-border hiring: unpredictable quota exhaustion and rigid seasonal calendars. Companies can now sponsor eligible ‘discendenti’ year-round, provided the usual labour-market test and contract standards are met. The decree does not waive other requirements—applicants must still secure a nulla osta, present proof of accommodation and income, and apply for a permesso di soggiorno within eight days of arrival—but officials emphasise that processing should accelerate because no quota check is needed.
Migration lawyers caution that documentary proof of ancestry can be onerous; consular officials are instructed to demand apostilled birth and marriage certificates for every generational link. Nonetheless, demand is expected to be strong: Argentina alone counts an estimated 20 million people of Italian heritage.
Multinationals with operations in Italy should therefore update global-mobility playbooks to flag the ‘out-of-quota descendant’ route as a viable alternative to the standard work-permit process. HR teams are urged to map workforce needs against the eligible diaspora markets, prepare ancestry-verification toolkits and brief recruiters before the peak 2026 hiring cycle begins.
The decree implements Article 27(1-octies) of Italy’s Consolidated Immigration Act, a little-used provision revived during this year’s overhaul of citizenship rules. Officials justified the measure by citing the “relevant and enduring” Italian communities in the seven target countries, each home to over 100,000 AIRE-registered nationals. By decoupling these applicants from quota lotteries and click-day crushes, the government hopes to channel culturally connected, Italian-speaking talent into sectors battling chronic labour shortages—most notably hospitality, specialised manufacturing and elder care.
For employers, the change removes two of the biggest pain points in cross-border hiring: unpredictable quota exhaustion and rigid seasonal calendars. Companies can now sponsor eligible ‘discendenti’ year-round, provided the usual labour-market test and contract standards are met. The decree does not waive other requirements—applicants must still secure a nulla osta, present proof of accommodation and income, and apply for a permesso di soggiorno within eight days of arrival—but officials emphasise that processing should accelerate because no quota check is needed.
Migration lawyers caution that documentary proof of ancestry can be onerous; consular officials are instructed to demand apostilled birth and marriage certificates for every generational link. Nonetheless, demand is expected to be strong: Argentina alone counts an estimated 20 million people of Italian heritage.
Multinationals with operations in Italy should therefore update global-mobility playbooks to flag the ‘out-of-quota descendant’ route as a viable alternative to the standard work-permit process. HR teams are urged to map workforce needs against the eligible diaspora markets, prepare ancestry-verification toolkits and brief recruiters before the peak 2026 hiring cycle begins.
