Last Updated on November 10, 2023
Converted Decree Law 20/2023 has stipulated that the entry quotas of non-EU citizens admitted to Italy for employment (including seasonal) and self-employment reasons are to be defined with a single act for each year of the three-year period 2023-2025, and no longer annually, as was the case until now (see our newsflash ‘New Immigration Decree 2023‘ of 14.03.2023).
Implementing this measure, on 3 October 2023 the Prime Ministerial Decree of 27 September 2023 (the so-called Flows Decree 2023-2025) was published in the Official Gazette, stipulating a total quota of 452,000 foreign citizens for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 and defining the criteria for entry flows. Of the criteria pertinent to all the years in question the following stand out: a reduction of the gap between the numbers entering and the needs of the labour market, based on a programme of increasing quotas over the three years, consistent with the reception and integration capacity of foreign workers by local communities, the extension of the economic sectors, and incentives to attract highly skilled workers. Further specific criteria for entry within and over and above the set quotas are also detailed.
Non-seasonal employment and self-employment
For non-seasonal employment in certain sectors (e.g. transport, construction, tourism-hotel, and telecommunications) and self-employment, 53,450 workers will be allowed into Italy in 2023, 61,950 units in 2024 and 71,450 units in 2025. These quotas will be broken down as follows:
| Subjects | Year | Non-seasonal employees | Self-employed |
| Workers from countries promoting media campaigns on illegal immigration | 2023 | 1,900 | 100 |
| 2024 | 2,380 | 120 | |
| 2025 | 2,850 | 150 | |
| Workers from countries that have signed migration cooperation agreements (e.g. Algeria, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Philippines, India, Morocco, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine) or are about to do so | 2023 | 37,000 | – |
| 2024 | 45,000 | – | |
| 2025 | 53,000 | – | |
| Workers of Italian origin resident in Venezuela | 2023 | 90 | 10 |
| 2024 | 90 | 10 | |
| 2025 | 90 | 10 | |
| Stateless persons and refugees | 2023 | 180 | 20 |
| 2024 | 180 | 20 | |
| 2025 | 180 | 20 | |
| Workers who will be employed in the family and social-medical care sector | 2023 | 9.500 | – |
| 2024 | 9.500 | – | |
| 2025 | 9.500 | – | |
| Possessors of permits of stay for seasonal work to be converted into permits of stay for employment | 2023 | 4.000 | – |
| 2024 | 4.000 | – | |
| 2025 | 5.000 | – | |
| Possessors of EU long-term permits of stay to be converted into permits of stay for employment | 2023 | 100 | 50 |
| 2024 | 100 | 50 | |
| 2025 | 100 | 50 | |
| Entrepreneurs (with investments of at least €500,000 or innovative start-ups), freelancers, corporate office-holders and artists | 2023 | – | 500 |
| 2024 | – | 500 | |
| 2025 | – | 500 | |
| Total | 2023 | 52.770 | 680 |
| 2024 | 61.250 | 700 | |
| 2025 | 70.720 | 730 |
Seasonal employment
In addition, entry into Italy for seasonal employment in the agricultural and tourism-hotel sectors by citizens from certain countries, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Philippines, India, Morocco, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine is allowed for a maximum total of 82,550 for 2023, 89,050 for 2024, and 93,550 for 2025. These quotas will be broken down as follows:
| Subjects | Year | Seasonal subordinate |
| Workers from countries promoting media campaigns on illegal immigration | 2023 | 2.500 |
| 2024 | 3.000 | |
| 2025 | 3.500 | |
| Workers from countries that have signed migration cooperation agreements | 2023 | 8.000 |
| 2024 | 12.000 | |
| 2025 | 14.000 | |
| Stateless persons and refugees | 2023 | 50 |
| 2024 | 50 | |
| 2025 | 50 | |
| Seasonal workers who have already worked in Italy at least once in the previous 5 years | 2023 | 2.000 |
| 2024 | 2.000 | |
| 2025 | 2.000 | |
| Agricultural workers whose applications are made by the major relative professional employer associations | 2023 | 40.000 |
| 2024 | 41.000 | |
| 2025 | 42.000 | |
| Tourism workers whose applications are made by the major relative professional employer associations | 2023 | 30.000 |
| 2024 | 31.000 | |
| 2025 | 32.000 | |
| Total | 2023 | 82.550 |
| 2024 | 89.050 | |
| 2025 | 93.550 |
Procedure
For 2023, applications for work permits may be submitted from 2, 4 and 12 December 2023, depending on the reason for entry, until the quotas are exhausted or, in any case, no later than 31 December 2023.
For the years 2024 and 2025, applications may be submitted on 5, 7 and 12 February of each year and until the respective quotas are exhausted or, in any case, no later than 31 December of the year in question.
The modalities for implementing this Prime Ministerial Decree will be the subject of a dedicated interministerial circular, which will also detail the documentation employers must provide to prove that they have verified, at the competent Employment Centre, the unavailability of a worker present in Italy to fill the position in question. In this regard, the Prime Ministerial Decree defines the following hypotheses for ‘unavailability’:
a) lack of response by the Employment Centre within 15 days of the employer’s request;
b) unfitness of the worker sent by the Employment Centre ascertained by the employer;
c) no-show without a justified reason by the workers sourced by the Employment Centre within 20 days of the request.
Our Global Mobility product team is at your complete disposal for support or clarification
For more information: mobility@toffolettodeluca.it
