Italian employers have entered the final countdown to the first immigration “click-day” of 2026. At 09:00 on Monday, 12 January, the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal will unlock 88,000 seasonal-work slots for agriculture and tourism/hospitality, all awarded on a first-come, first-served basis under the new three-year Flow Decree. A 10 % increase on last year’s opening tranche, the quota is intended to cover bumper harvest projections and record hotel bookings along Italy’s coasts and art cities for the coming summer season.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Companies have been able to pre-fill applications since October, and many large farm cooperatives are expected to deploy automated upload tools that fire completed forms in milliseconds. Immigration lawyers warn that duplicate filings or missing documents will trigger the portal’s new automatic-rejection filter— a safeguard introduced after bots crashed the server during the 2025 rush.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Employers without dedicated immigration teams can lean on VisaHQ’s Italy specialists to pre-screen paperwork, flag likely errors and even monitor the ALI portal in real time. By starting the process at https://www.visahq.com/italy/, companies can cut down on rejected filings and ensure approved workers receive their entry visas and nulla osta documents well before spring planting begins.
![Italy’s January 12 “Click-Day” to allocate 88,000 seasonal-work permits]()
Once an electronic protocol number is issued, the applicant’s quota slot is locked. Provincial immigration desks (Sportelli Unici) must now finalise the nulla osta within 30 days—half the time previously allowed—so that workers can arrive before spring planting begins. Successful permit-holders may stay up to nine months and can convert to non-seasonal status if they sign a permanent contract.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
For HR and mobility managers the practical implications are clear. First, finalise lodging declarations, collective-bargaining wage tables and power-of-attorney documents before Monday. Second, prepare contingency plans in case server overloads delay filings; IT teams should stress-test VPN connections and two-factor authentication. Third, brief business lines that the next windows—9 February for tourism and 16 February for non-seasonal hires—will fill even faster.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Firms that miss Monday’s window may need to pivot to the EU Blue Card or intra-company-transfer permits, both of which involve higher salary thresholds and longer lead times. Given Europe-wide labour shortages, employers that secure permits on 12 January will lock in manpower for the 2026 harvest and high tourist season, gaining an edge over rivals still scrambling for staff in spring.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Companies have been able to pre-fill applications since October, and many large farm cooperatives are expected to deploy automated upload tools that fire completed forms in milliseconds. Immigration lawyers warn that duplicate filings or missing documents will trigger the portal’s new automatic-rejection filter— a safeguard introduced after bots crashed the server during the 2025 rush.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Employers without dedicated immigration teams can lean on VisaHQ’s Italy specialists to pre-screen paperwork, flag likely errors and even monitor the ALI portal in real time. By starting the process at https://www.visahq.com/italy/, companies can cut down on rejected filings and ensure approved workers receive their entry visas and nulla osta documents well before spring planting begins.
Once an electronic protocol number is issued, the applicant’s quota slot is locked. Provincial immigration desks (Sportelli Unici) must now finalise the nulla osta within 30 days—half the time previously allowed—so that workers can arrive before spring planting begins. Successful permit-holders may stay up to nine months and can convert to non-seasonal status if they sign a permanent contract.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
For HR and mobility managers the practical implications are clear. First, finalise lodging declarations, collective-bargaining wage tables and power-of-attorney documents before Monday. Second, prepare contingency plans in case server overloads delay filings; IT teams should stress-test VPN connections and two-factor authentication. Third, brief business lines that the next windows—9 February for tourism and 16 February for non-seasonal hires—will fill even faster.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
Firms that miss Monday’s window may need to pivot to the EU Blue Card or intra-company-transfer permits, both of which involve higher salary thresholds and longer lead times. Given Europe-wide labour shortages, employers that secure permits on 12 January will lock in manpower for the 2026 harvest and high tourist season, gaining an edge over rivals still scrambling for staff in spring.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/it/italys-january-12-click-day-will-release-88000-seasonal-work-permits/))
