The Italian government is poised to approve the next multi-year immigration quota decree, or Decreto Flussi, which will authorise 497,550 new work-visa places for non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028. A draft seen by national daily La Sicilia allocates 164,850 slots in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028, split between seasonal employees, long-term hires, highly-qualified staff and domestic caregivers. Compared with the previous three-year plan, the figures mark an 11 percent increase and would bring to almost one million the number of legal labour entries approved during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s first term. The decree links each yearly quota to labour-market demand verified by the Ministry of Labour and regional employers’ associations. It also gives preference to candidates from countries that run information campaigns discouraging irregular migration and to workers whose skills match Italy’s chronic shortages in construction, hospitality, agri-food, logistics and elder care. Quotas for highly-skilled profiles will widen, reflecting pressure from industry groups that warn digital and engineering roles are going unfilled.
![Italy prepares new ‘Decreto Flussi’ to admit 500,000 foreign workers over 2026-28]()
For employers and prospective applicants trying to secure one of these new permits, VisaHQ offers an end-to-end service that simplifies document collection, application review and consular scheduling. Its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) tracks Decreto Flussi announcements in real time, helping users submit error-free files and avoid needless delays.
If the text is approved at the April 13 cabinet meeting, click-day applications could open as early as June. Employers will again file online through the unified immigration portal and, once a nulla osta (work authorisation) is issued, applicants must obtain an entry visa at Italian consulates before travelling. Past decrees have been dogged by processing delays: monitoring group “Ero Straniero” calculates that only 7.5 percent of the 2023 quota had been converted into residence permits after one year. Officials say the Interior Ministry has upgraded its IT system and hired 300 extra staff to clear the backlog. For multinationals, the bigger quotas offer a window to regularise long-standing temporary staff and to plan intra-EU postings that require Italian contracts. Immigration advisers recommend employers prepare complete documentation—tax codes, labour contracts, proof of accommodation—well ahead of the click day, as slots are traditionally snapped up within minutes. Recruiters also welcome the government’s intention to publish the next three-year decree in late 2028, giving businesses a predictable pipeline of permits. While business groups broadly applaud the expansion, trade-union confederation UIL argues the decree still relies on short-term seasonal labour and fails to tackle the slow issuance of residence permits that leaves many recruits in limbo for months. Opposition parties are likely to demand parliamentary scrutiny, but because the measure is issued by cabinet decree, it can enter into force immediately after publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.
For employers and prospective applicants trying to secure one of these new permits, VisaHQ offers an end-to-end service that simplifies document collection, application review and consular scheduling. Its dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) tracks Decreto Flussi announcements in real time, helping users submit error-free files and avoid needless delays.
If the text is approved at the April 13 cabinet meeting, click-day applications could open as early as June. Employers will again file online through the unified immigration portal and, once a nulla osta (work authorisation) is issued, applicants must obtain an entry visa at Italian consulates before travelling. Past decrees have been dogged by processing delays: monitoring group “Ero Straniero” calculates that only 7.5 percent of the 2023 quota had been converted into residence permits after one year. Officials say the Interior Ministry has upgraded its IT system and hired 300 extra staff to clear the backlog. For multinationals, the bigger quotas offer a window to regularise long-standing temporary staff and to plan intra-EU postings that require Italian contracts. Immigration advisers recommend employers prepare complete documentation—tax codes, labour contracts, proof of accommodation—well ahead of the click day, as slots are traditionally snapped up within minutes. Recruiters also welcome the government’s intention to publish the next three-year decree in late 2028, giving businesses a predictable pipeline of permits. While business groups broadly applaud the expansion, trade-union confederation UIL argues the decree still relies on short-term seasonal labour and fails to tackle the slow issuance of residence permits that leaves many recruits in limbo for months. Opposition parties are likely to demand parliamentary scrutiny, but because the measure is issued by cabinet decree, it can enter into force immediately after publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.
