The Italian Ministry of Labour has switched the 2026–28 immigration programme from policy to practice by publishing the long-awaited breakdown of 40,075 seasonal-work visa slots earmarked for 2026. The circular, signed late on 16 January by Director-General for Social Policies and Migration Stefania Congia, distributes the quota across the country’s 20 regions and among employer associations such as Coldiretti, Confagricoltura and Federalberghi. The move gives agribusinesses and hospitality groups the legal certainty they need to finalise recruitment for the coming high season. (visahq.com)
Background to the quotas goes back to the three-year Decreto Flussi approved in October 2025, which authorises 497,550 foreign-worker entries between 2026 and 2028. Of the 164,850 entry slots available in 2026, more than half are reserved for seasonal labour in agriculture and tourism. Employers were allowed to pre-fill applications on the ALI online portal between 23 October and 7 December 2025, with formal “click-days” opening on 12 January for farm jobs and staggered through 18 February for other sectors. (visahq.com)
What changed this week is clarity on who can sponsor how many workers. For the first time, a reserve of 1,500 visas is set aside for nationals of countries that recently signed migration-management deals with Italy, including Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines. Another tranche is ring-fenced for employers that have adopted anti-exploitation protocols following last summer’s well-publicised farm-labour deaths in Puglia. Processing will be strictly chronological, but the ministry promises to re-allocate unused places every 30 days to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks. (visahq.com)
![Italy Allocates 40,075 Seasonal-Work Visas for 2026 as New Decreto Flussi Kicks In]()
VisaHQ’s Italy specialists can simplify every step of this tight timetable, from validating PEC and SPID credentials to coordinating nulla osta pickups and consular appointments. Our digital platform centralises checklists, deadline alerts and courier tracking, freeing HR teams to focus on recruitment strategy rather than paperwork. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/italy/.
For corporate mobility teams, the announcement triggers a race against the clock. Past experience shows that quotas are exhausted within minutes, so HR departments need to test PEC e-mail credentials, SPID log-ins and digital-signature tokens well before their sector’s click-day. Employers that miss the window may be forced to rely on more expensive local temp agencies until 2027 quotas open. Companies are also advised to budget at least 60 days for nulla osta issuance and another 30 days for visa stamping at consulates now coping with new biometric-data rules. (visahq.com)
Looking ahead, the government is floating the idea of an electronic quota lottery for 2027 to cut down on click-day congestion. Firms that need a continuous pipeline of foreign talent should monitor parliamentary debate and consider lobbying through their trade bodies to keep the process business-friendly.
Background to the quotas goes back to the three-year Decreto Flussi approved in October 2025, which authorises 497,550 foreign-worker entries between 2026 and 2028. Of the 164,850 entry slots available in 2026, more than half are reserved for seasonal labour in agriculture and tourism. Employers were allowed to pre-fill applications on the ALI online portal between 23 October and 7 December 2025, with formal “click-days” opening on 12 January for farm jobs and staggered through 18 February for other sectors. (visahq.com)
What changed this week is clarity on who can sponsor how many workers. For the first time, a reserve of 1,500 visas is set aside for nationals of countries that recently signed migration-management deals with Italy, including Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines. Another tranche is ring-fenced for employers that have adopted anti-exploitation protocols following last summer’s well-publicised farm-labour deaths in Puglia. Processing will be strictly chronological, but the ministry promises to re-allocate unused places every 30 days to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks. (visahq.com)
VisaHQ’s Italy specialists can simplify every step of this tight timetable, from validating PEC and SPID credentials to coordinating nulla osta pickups and consular appointments. Our digital platform centralises checklists, deadline alerts and courier tracking, freeing HR teams to focus on recruitment strategy rather than paperwork. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/italy/.
For corporate mobility teams, the announcement triggers a race against the clock. Past experience shows that quotas are exhausted within minutes, so HR departments need to test PEC e-mail credentials, SPID log-ins and digital-signature tokens well before their sector’s click-day. Employers that miss the window may be forced to rely on more expensive local temp agencies until 2027 quotas open. Companies are also advised to budget at least 60 days for nulla osta issuance and another 30 days for visa stamping at consulates now coping with new biometric-data rules. (visahq.com)
Looking ahead, the government is floating the idea of an electronic quota lottery for 2027 to cut down on click-day congestion. Firms that need a continuous pipeline of foreign talent should monitor parliamentary debate and consider lobbying through their trade bodies to keep the process business-friendly.
