A ministerial decree dated 17 November 2025 and published in Italy’s Official Gazette on 19 December creates a new immigration channel for foreign workers who can prove lineal descent from an Italian citizen. Under Article 27(1-octies) of the Immigration Act, these individuals may obtain subordinate-work permits entirely outside the annual quota (‘decreto flussi’) caps.
The Labour and Foreign Affairs ministries have drawn up a list of countries with significant Italian diaspora communities whose citizens may benefit, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Canada and Venezuela. Applicants will need a valid job offer, genealogical documentation and a ‘nulla osta’ clearance from their local Italian consulate but will bypass the competitive click-day process that typically sells out within hours.
![Italy opens labour-market door to foreign descendants of Italian nationals, outside quota system]()
At this stage, companies and individual applicants may find it helpful to work with VisaHQ, whose Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) outlines the latest visa requirements, fees and processing times. The service can coordinate document collection, manage translations and apostilles, and track nulla osta requests—streamlining each step so HR teams and descendants of Italian citizens can focus on securing the right talent match.
For employers facing skills shortages—particularly in construction, hospitality and advanced manufacturing—the new pathway offers a strategic alternative to standard quotas. Corporate mobility teams should flag the option to talent-acquisition colleagues scouting in South America and North America, regions with large Italian-descent populations.
Practically, HR should prepare to assist candidates with document gathering, including birth and marriage certificates demonstrating unbroken lineage, and budget for legal translations and apostilles. Processing times are expected to mirror standard work-permit timelines (three to four months), but early adopters may move faster while application volumes remain low.
The Labour and Foreign Affairs ministries have drawn up a list of countries with significant Italian diaspora communities whose citizens may benefit, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Canada and Venezuela. Applicants will need a valid job offer, genealogical documentation and a ‘nulla osta’ clearance from their local Italian consulate but will bypass the competitive click-day process that typically sells out within hours.
At this stage, companies and individual applicants may find it helpful to work with VisaHQ, whose Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) outlines the latest visa requirements, fees and processing times. The service can coordinate document collection, manage translations and apostilles, and track nulla osta requests—streamlining each step so HR teams and descendants of Italian citizens can focus on securing the right talent match.
For employers facing skills shortages—particularly in construction, hospitality and advanced manufacturing—the new pathway offers a strategic alternative to standard quotas. Corporate mobility teams should flag the option to talent-acquisition colleagues scouting in South America and North America, regions with large Italian-descent populations.
Practically, HR should prepare to assist candidates with document gathering, including birth and marriage certificates demonstrating unbroken lineage, and budget for legal translations and apostilles. Processing times are expected to mirror standard work-permit timelines (three to four months), but early adopters may move faster while application volumes remain low.
