A client circular released on 4 March 2026 by consultancy network MySolution sheds light on the labour-ministry decree that allocates 12,000 of this year’s 151,000 foreign-worker quotas to ‘assistenti familiari’—live-in carers for Italy’s ageing population. The circular confirms that applications will open at 9 a.m. on 14 March through the dedicated ‘Sportello UniCo’ online portal, with employers required to submit digital employment contracts and proof of suitable accommodation.
![Decreto Flussi 2026: Italy reserves 12,000 non-seasonal permits for live-in caregivers]()
For employers or families who need hands-on support with the visa filing itself, online platforms such as VisaHQ offer end-to-end assistance—including document review, form preparation and appointment scheduling—streamlining what can otherwise be a daunting procedure. Their Italy hub (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date requirements and live chat with specialists, making it easier to secure the correct entry visa once a quota slot has been obtained.
Unlike seasonal agriculture permits, these places fall under the ‘lavoro subordinato non stagionale’ channel and grant a two-year residence permit renewable while the employment relationship lasts. Successful applicants must apply for their entry visa within six months and convert it to a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) at the local Questura within eight days of arrival. Family reunification is allowed after one year of continuous residence. The document also clarifies that—following last year’s pilot—digital signature tokens are now mandatory for employers, eliminating paper applications entirely. Processing times are expected to drop from 90 to 45 days thanks to back-office automation and a new data-exchange interface between immigration offices and INPS, Italy’s social-security agency. For global mobility teams the message is two-fold. First, companies that rely on personal-care staff for senior expatriate executives should coordinate with Italian relocation providers immediately; quotas in this category historically sell out within minutes. Second, sponsoring families will need to factor in new minimum-salary thresholds: €10,000 per dependent cared-for person per year, indexed to ISTAT inflation figures. Observers view the dedicated caregiver quota as a political compromise: business groups secured a larger overall ceiling for factory and IT workers (up 15 percent), while the government addressed demographic pressures by ring-fencing slots for care work. The experiment will be closely watched ahead of next year’s triennial immigration-planning review.
For employers or families who need hands-on support with the visa filing itself, online platforms such as VisaHQ offer end-to-end assistance—including document review, form preparation and appointment scheduling—streamlining what can otherwise be a daunting procedure. Their Italy hub (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date requirements and live chat with specialists, making it easier to secure the correct entry visa once a quota slot has been obtained.
Unlike seasonal agriculture permits, these places fall under the ‘lavoro subordinato non stagionale’ channel and grant a two-year residence permit renewable while the employment relationship lasts. Successful applicants must apply for their entry visa within six months and convert it to a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) at the local Questura within eight days of arrival. Family reunification is allowed after one year of continuous residence. The document also clarifies that—following last year’s pilot—digital signature tokens are now mandatory for employers, eliminating paper applications entirely. Processing times are expected to drop from 90 to 45 days thanks to back-office automation and a new data-exchange interface between immigration offices and INPS, Italy’s social-security agency. For global mobility teams the message is two-fold. First, companies that rely on personal-care staff for senior expatriate executives should coordinate with Italian relocation providers immediately; quotas in this category historically sell out within minutes. Second, sponsoring families will need to factor in new minimum-salary thresholds: €10,000 per dependent cared-for person per year, indexed to ISTAT inflation figures. Observers view the dedicated caregiver quota as a political compromise: business groups secured a larger overall ceiling for factory and IT workers (up 15 percent), while the government addressed demographic pressures by ring-fencing slots for care work. The experiment will be closely watched ahead of next year’s triennial immigration-planning review.
