Italy’s Council of Ministers has approved, in first reading, the long-awaited Decreto Flussi for the 2026-2028 period, mapping out legal entry channels for almost half a million non-EU nationals over the next three years. The quota decree authorises 164,850 new permits in 2026 and a total of 497,550 by the end of 2028, of which 267,000 slots are ring-fenced for seasonal jobs in agriculture and tourism while 230,550 are reserved for non-seasonal and self-employment. Government spokespeople stress that the figures reflect formal labour-market surveys and past demand data provided by employer federations. Although the scheme keeps the familiar “click-day” on-line application race, ministers signalled their intention to phase it out in favour of a year-round reservation system that would let companies lodge requests as soon as staffing needs arise. Farm lobbies Coldiretti and Confagricoltura welcomed the longer planning horizon but warned that unless processing times abroad and at Italy’s consulates are shortened, workers may still arrive after harvest peaks.
![Italy sets three-year immigration quotas: 497,550 extra non-EU workers cleared for 2026-2028]()
For organisations that lack in-house immigration teams, VisaHQ can simplify every step of the Italian visa process—from assembling documents to booking consular appointments and tracking approvals. Its dedicated portal for Italy (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date guidance on seasonal, non-seasonal and self-employment permits, letting HR managers and individual applicants delegate the red tape while retaining real-time visibility over each case.
For global mobility managers the change is material: Italy moves from annual quotas to a rolling three-year plan, enabling workforce-planning for large construction projects and resort chains that rely heavily on non-EU staff. Employers can now design multi-season employment pathways—e.g. bringing a strawberry-picker back for successive harvests or converting a chef’s seasonal permit into a standard contract—without worrying that quotas will evaporate the following January. The decree also opens explicit “quota-free” lanes for conversions (e.g. study to work) and for workers who have completed certified vocational programmes abroad, creating opportunities for in-house academies run by multinationals in source countries. Once the measure clears parliament—expected before the summer recess—human-resources teams should review their quota forecasts, line up consular appointments early and monitor any pilot projects that replace the click-day with rolling submissions. In practice, firms that miss the first application window in late 2026 may still secure staff later in the year, but only if the Interior and Labour Ministries manage to digitalise the end-to-end process in time. Until then, experts advise submitting dossiers on day one and budgeting for at least four months between nulla-osta approval and the employee’s first shift in Italy.
For organisations that lack in-house immigration teams, VisaHQ can simplify every step of the Italian visa process—from assembling documents to booking consular appointments and tracking approvals. Its dedicated portal for Italy (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date guidance on seasonal, non-seasonal and self-employment permits, letting HR managers and individual applicants delegate the red tape while retaining real-time visibility over each case.
For global mobility managers the change is material: Italy moves from annual quotas to a rolling three-year plan, enabling workforce-planning for large construction projects and resort chains that rely heavily on non-EU staff. Employers can now design multi-season employment pathways—e.g. bringing a strawberry-picker back for successive harvests or converting a chef’s seasonal permit into a standard contract—without worrying that quotas will evaporate the following January. The decree also opens explicit “quota-free” lanes for conversions (e.g. study to work) and for workers who have completed certified vocational programmes abroad, creating opportunities for in-house academies run by multinationals in source countries. Once the measure clears parliament—expected before the summer recess—human-resources teams should review their quota forecasts, line up consular appointments early and monitor any pilot projects that replace the click-day with rolling submissions. In practice, firms that miss the first application window in late 2026 may still secure staff later in the year, but only if the Interior and Labour Ministries manage to digitalise the end-to-end process in time. Until then, experts advise submitting dossiers on day one and budgeting for at least four months between nulla-osta approval and the employee’s first shift in Italy.
