Following high-level talks in Rome, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed on 25 February that Italy will issue 10,500 work visas to Pakistani citizens during the 2026 quota year. The decision, announced alongside Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, is part of the multi-year Decreto Flussi framework that sets sector-specific immigration ceilings and channels employers toward legal recruitment.
According to the joint statement, the majority of places will be reserved for construction, agriculture, ship-building and hospitality—industries battling chronic labour shortages as Italy’s working-age population shrinks. Employers will submit applications through the Interior Ministry’s online portal; successful workers will receive two-year residence permits renewable on proof of continued employment.
Employers and individual applicants who want to make the most of this new quota can simplify the process by turning to VisaHQ. Through its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), VisaHQ provides real-time updates on Decreto Flussi openings, document checklists and appointment scheduling, giving companies and workers alike a clearer path to securing the right Italian permits without costly delays.
![Italy Allocates 10,500 Work Visas for Skilled Pakistani Nationals]()
Minister Piantedosi also pledged visa-free entry for Pakistani diplomatic passport holders, smoothing official travel and signalling warmer bilateral ties. Pakistan, for its part, committed to intensifying border controls to curb people-smuggling via Libya and the western Balkans, a route that saw more than 16,000 irregular Pakistani arrivals in Italy during 2025.
For multinational companies, the expanded quota offers a timely opportunity to plug talent gaps, but the application window is notoriously competitive, with slots filling within minutes on so-called “click-days.” HR teams should prepare worker lists, credentials and digital signatures well ahead of the portal opening, and consider partnering with accredited recruitment agencies to navigate Italian compliance rules.
The move also reinforces Italy’s strategy of pairing strict enforcement (as seen in transfers to Albania) with incentives for managed labour mobility. Observers expect similar bilateral visa arrangements with Tunisia and Egypt later this year as Rome diversifies its legal-migration channels.
According to the joint statement, the majority of places will be reserved for construction, agriculture, ship-building and hospitality—industries battling chronic labour shortages as Italy’s working-age population shrinks. Employers will submit applications through the Interior Ministry’s online portal; successful workers will receive two-year residence permits renewable on proof of continued employment.
Employers and individual applicants who want to make the most of this new quota can simplify the process by turning to VisaHQ. Through its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), VisaHQ provides real-time updates on Decreto Flussi openings, document checklists and appointment scheduling, giving companies and workers alike a clearer path to securing the right Italian permits without costly delays.
Minister Piantedosi also pledged visa-free entry for Pakistani diplomatic passport holders, smoothing official travel and signalling warmer bilateral ties. Pakistan, for its part, committed to intensifying border controls to curb people-smuggling via Libya and the western Balkans, a route that saw more than 16,000 irregular Pakistani arrivals in Italy during 2025.
For multinational companies, the expanded quota offers a timely opportunity to plug talent gaps, but the application window is notoriously competitive, with slots filling within minutes on so-called “click-days.” HR teams should prepare worker lists, credentials and digital signatures well ahead of the portal opening, and consider partnering with accredited recruitment agencies to navigate Italian compliance rules.
The move also reinforces Italy’s strategy of pairing strict enforcement (as seen in transfers to Albania) with incentives for managed labour mobility. Observers expect similar bilateral visa arrangements with Tunisia and Egypt later this year as Rome diversifies its legal-migration channels.
