Italy’s Council of Ministers quietly signed off the long-awaited Presidential ‘Flow Decree’ on 6 December, setting immigration quotas for the three-year period 2026-2028. The decree authorises 497,550 new ingresso-lavoro permits—an increase of roughly 10 % on the 2023-25 cycle—and immediately becomes the lodestar for corporate mobility planners operating in Italy.
Under the new framework 164,850 permits will be available in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028. Seasonal hiring in agriculture and tourism absorbs the lion’s share (267,000), while 230,550 visas are reserved for non-seasonal employees and self-employed professionals. A further 20,000 permits allow holders of other Italian stay-permits to convert to work status, reflecting the government’s aim to regularise people already in the country. The decree also rolls over a dedicated channel for 10,000 elder-care and domestic workers each year—an acknowledgement of Italy’s rapidly ageing population.
![Italy Publishes 2026-2028 ‘Flow Decree’, Opening 497,550 New Work-Visa Slots]()
For employers the clock is already ticking. Online ‘pre-filling’ for 2026 applications closes at midnight on 7 December; formal submissions will be handled on four highly competitive “click days” in January and February. Global mobility teams are therefore racing to gather police certificates, labour-market test results and biometric appointments for candidates before the portals open. Agricultural lobby Coldiretti applauded the larger quota, warning that without foreign labour one-third of Italy’s harvest would rot in the fields. Hospitality and manufacturing associations struck a similar note, citing chronic skills shortages and a projected three-million-person decline in Italy’s working-age population by 2035.
Politically the decree walks a fine line. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition needs foreign workers to keep the economy running, yet has promised voters tougher action on irregular migration. Her government argues that expanding legal pathways—and policing them strictly—undercuts smuggling networks and supports orderly migration. Opposition parties, however, accuse the executive of feeding xenophobic rhetoric while quietly boosting immigration numbers.
Practical implications for multinationals are clear. Budgets will have to account for higher legal and translation fees, stricter post-arrival audits and the new requirement for biometric capture at all Italian consulates. Companies with seasonal peaks—vineyards, resorts, food processors—should map 2026 head-count now, secure SPID/CIE digital credentials for the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal and line up external counsel for the January click days. Failure to act early may mean waiting another year—or paying a grey-market premium—to secure critical talent.
Under the new framework 164,850 permits will be available in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028. Seasonal hiring in agriculture and tourism absorbs the lion’s share (267,000), while 230,550 visas are reserved for non-seasonal employees and self-employed professionals. A further 20,000 permits allow holders of other Italian stay-permits to convert to work status, reflecting the government’s aim to regularise people already in the country. The decree also rolls over a dedicated channel for 10,000 elder-care and domestic workers each year—an acknowledgement of Italy’s rapidly ageing population.
For employers the clock is already ticking. Online ‘pre-filling’ for 2026 applications closes at midnight on 7 December; formal submissions will be handled on four highly competitive “click days” in January and February. Global mobility teams are therefore racing to gather police certificates, labour-market test results and biometric appointments for candidates before the portals open. Agricultural lobby Coldiretti applauded the larger quota, warning that without foreign labour one-third of Italy’s harvest would rot in the fields. Hospitality and manufacturing associations struck a similar note, citing chronic skills shortages and a projected three-million-person decline in Italy’s working-age population by 2035.
Politically the decree walks a fine line. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition needs foreign workers to keep the economy running, yet has promised voters tougher action on irregular migration. Her government argues that expanding legal pathways—and policing them strictly—undercuts smuggling networks and supports orderly migration. Opposition parties, however, accuse the executive of feeding xenophobic rhetoric while quietly boosting immigration numbers.
Practical implications for multinationals are clear. Budgets will have to account for higher legal and translation fees, stricter post-arrival audits and the new requirement for biometric capture at all Italian consulates. Companies with seasonal peaks—vineyards, resorts, food processors—should map 2026 head-count now, secure SPID/CIE digital credentials for the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal and line up external counsel for the January click days. Failure to act early may mean waiting another year—or paying a grey-market premium—to secure critical talent.
