The Italian government has announced a cap of 30.850 on the number of workers from outside the EEA allowed in Italy for 2018.
The figure and the categories of workers allowed this year are not so different from those announced in the last years. Once again, no quotas for standard sponsored employment have been issued (apart from a few exceptions below).
More than half quotas are reserved for entries for seasonal work (18.000); the majority of remaining quotas are reserved to permit conversion (9.850) for foreign citizens already in possession of a residence permit in Italy or EU (study, seasonal work, permanent) intending to change status i.e. to convert the existing permit into a permit for employment/self-employment.
The remaining part – few quotas – are for self-employment work (2.400) and special categories (600) of foreigners (such as South American citizens with Italian ancestors or individuals who have completed a specific training in their country of residence).
Background
Immigration for work purposes in Italy is based on a quota-system which is fixed annually by means of a Decree – the so-called “decreto-flussi”. The decree sets the numerical limits for each category of foreign nationals allowed to apply for a work permit and the period during which applications can be submitted. Permits are normally granted on a first come, first served basis.
Several categories of workers are excluded from the cap and are not subject to a fixed limit, such as ICT assignments, highly skilled, executives or managerial employees assigned to the Italian branch of a foreign legal entity, university lecturers, and professors, translators and interpreters, professional nurses, etc.
Deadlines
Application forms will be available on the dedicated website https://nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it starting from January 18th and January 24th. Applications for permit conversion and permits reserved to special categories of foreigners can be submitted starting from 9 am on January 23rd while Seasonal work permit applications can be submitted starting from 9 am on January 31st.
Application forms must be submitted within and not after December 31st, 2018.
Instructions and deadlines are set in quota decree 2018 (DPCM 15 December 2017 www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2018/01/16/18A00308/sg) and Ministries joint circular 17.01.2018 http://www.interno.gov.it/sites/default/files/circolare_decreto_flussi_2018.pdf)
Quota categories
The 30.850 quotas are to be allocated amongst the following categories:
NEW ENTRIES – FOR NON-EU NATIONALS RESIDING ABROAD
PERMIT CONVERSION – FOR NON-EU NATIONALS ALREADY IN ITALY/EU
Employers should evaluate their need for work permits for non-EU nationals, especially if intending to hire foreign nationals holding a study, internship and/or vocational training residence permit or permanent residents of an EU country.
Mazzeschi S.r.l. | Operazione/Progetto finanziato nel quadro del POR FESR Toscana 2014-2020
Il progetto ITACA (ITaly Attract ChinA) è un investimento nei paesi/mercati a lingua cinese, in particolare Taiwan con l’obiettivo di accrescere le quote di mercato dell'azienda. Tramite ITACA la Mazzeschi Srl ha aperto un ufficio a Taiwan con assunzione di personale di lingua cinese, creato un sito internet in lingua cinese e partecipato a fiere e varie attività di promozione a Taiwan.
Mazzeschi S.r.l. | Project co-financed under Tuscany POR FESR 2014-2020
The ITACA project (ITaly Attract ChinA) is a fund to invest in Chinese-speaking countries/markets, in particular Taiwan with the aim of increasing the company's market shares. With the help of ITACA project, Mazzeschi Srl has opened an office in Taiwan and has hired a Chinese-speaking staff, created a Chinese website and participated in fairs and various promotional activities in Taiwan.