In a surprise end-of-year move, the Italian government has published a decree that carves out a brand-new immigration channel for the millions of people around the world who have Italian ancestry. Signed by the foreign, interior and labour ministers and published in the Official Gazette on 29 December 2025, the measure allows citizens of seven countries—Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, the United States, Canada and Australia—who can prove lineal descent from an Italian national to apply for a subordinate-work visa at any time of the year and entirely outside the country’s strict annual decreto-flussi quota system.
Background: Italy’s quota system normally releases fewer than 200,000 work permits a year, with applications submitted in a frantic “click-day” that sells out in minutes. Employers complain of chronic labour shortages and administrative complexity, while would-be migrants face fierce competition and long waiting lists. The new decree reflects political pressure from Italian business associations and the large Italian diaspora to create a talent pipeline that is both culturally compatible and easier to administer.
How the scheme will work: Eligible applicants will still need a signed job offer, a nulla osta (work authorisation) and proof of unbroken descent (birth, marriage and death certificates). There is no generation cap in the decree, meaning great-grandchildren and beyond can potentially qualify. Crucially, consulates may process these visas year-round, bypassing the annual quota lottery and the uncertainty that surrounds it. Officials emphasise that background checks, labour-market tests and all standard documentation remain in place, but processing times should shrink because no quota verification is required.
![Italy opens ‘out-of-quota’ work permits for descendants of Italian emigrants]()
Business impact: Hospitality, manufacturing and elder-care sectors—three areas hit hardest by Italy’s demographic crunch—expect faster access to Italian-speaking workers who are already familiar with the culture. Recruiters say the change could shave months off hiring timelines and reduce the legal fees associated with re-submitting quota-denied cases. Multinationals with operations in Argentina or Brazil are already mapping internal transfer programmes that route eligible staff to Italian plants.
For employers and applicants looking for hands-on assistance, VisaHQ can streamline the entire Italian visa process—from document pre-checks and apostille coordination to consular appointment booking—through its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/). The platform tracks policy changes like this new ancestry-based work route in real time, helping HR teams and candidates avoid costly mistakes and shorten overall processing times.
Practical advice: HR teams should audit their talent pools and identify employees who may have Italian lineage, then prepare documentary evidence early (many Latin-American civil registries require lengthy apostille procedures). Employers should also watch for the decreto attuativo (implementing decree) that will specify application portals and document check-lists. Foreign nationals who recently lost the right to citizenship jure sanguinis because of May 2025 restrictions may view this visa as a bridge into Italy while longer-term options are explored.
Background: Italy’s quota system normally releases fewer than 200,000 work permits a year, with applications submitted in a frantic “click-day” that sells out in minutes. Employers complain of chronic labour shortages and administrative complexity, while would-be migrants face fierce competition and long waiting lists. The new decree reflects political pressure from Italian business associations and the large Italian diaspora to create a talent pipeline that is both culturally compatible and easier to administer.
How the scheme will work: Eligible applicants will still need a signed job offer, a nulla osta (work authorisation) and proof of unbroken descent (birth, marriage and death certificates). There is no generation cap in the decree, meaning great-grandchildren and beyond can potentially qualify. Crucially, consulates may process these visas year-round, bypassing the annual quota lottery and the uncertainty that surrounds it. Officials emphasise that background checks, labour-market tests and all standard documentation remain in place, but processing times should shrink because no quota verification is required.
Business impact: Hospitality, manufacturing and elder-care sectors—three areas hit hardest by Italy’s demographic crunch—expect faster access to Italian-speaking workers who are already familiar with the culture. Recruiters say the change could shave months off hiring timelines and reduce the legal fees associated with re-submitting quota-denied cases. Multinationals with operations in Argentina or Brazil are already mapping internal transfer programmes that route eligible staff to Italian plants.
For employers and applicants looking for hands-on assistance, VisaHQ can streamline the entire Italian visa process—from document pre-checks and apostille coordination to consular appointment booking—through its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/). The platform tracks policy changes like this new ancestry-based work route in real time, helping HR teams and candidates avoid costly mistakes and shorten overall processing times.
Practical advice: HR teams should audit their talent pools and identify employees who may have Italian lineage, then prepare documentary evidence early (many Latin-American civil registries require lengthy apostille procedures). Employers should also watch for the decreto attuativo (implementing decree) that will specify application portals and document check-lists. Foreign nationals who recently lost the right to citizenship jure sanguinis because of May 2025 restrictions may view this visa as a bridge into Italy while longer-term options are explored.
