Italy Passes 2023-2025 Quota Decree into Law

On October 3, 2023, Italy published a three-year immigration Decree with a quota of 452,000 non-EU nationals permitted to enter for work between 2023 and 2025. In the past, quota decrees have been issued annually.

The 2023-25 quota (“Flussi”) decree increases the entry quotas for work and extends the professional categories and production sectors involved. Moreover, the quotas increase in each of the three years.

• The 2022 quota decree allowed 82,705 entries;
• The proposed decree allows for 136,000 entries in 2023, 151,000 in 2024 and 165,000 in 2025.

For the 2023 quotas, applications may be submitted as follows:

• from December 2, 2023, for non-seasonal employees from countries that have cooperation agreements with Italy;
• from December 4, 2023, for other non-seasonal employees;
• from December 12, 2023, for seasonal workers.

For 2023, the 136,000 quotas are to be allocated as follows:

• 82,550 quotas for seasonal work in agriculture, hospitality and tourism, reserved to certain nationalities;
• 52,770 for non-seasonal work as an employee.
  • In freight transportation, building, hospitality and tourism, mechanics, telecommunications, food, shipbuilding, transportation of passengers by bus, fishing, hairdressing, electricians, plumbers:
    • 2,000 for citizens of countries that promote media campaigns regarding the risks resulting from involvement in irregular migration;
    • 25,000 for the following nationalities: Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Philippines Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Japan, Guatemala, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of North Macedonia, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine;
    • 12,000 for citizens of countries with which Italy has cooperation agreements;
    • 100 (employed or self-employed) reserved for foreign nationals who have Italian ancestry and reside in Venezuela;
    • 200 (employed or self-employed) reserved for stateless persons and refugees;
  • 9,500 quotas for workers in the family care and support services;
  • 500 quotas for self-employment for:
    • Entrepreneurs intending to implement an investment plan of interest for the Italian economy, involving an investment of at least EUR 500,000 and creating at least three new jobs in Italy;
    • Freelancers/independent contractors who intend to practice regulated or controlled professions;
    • Chairman, CEO, director or auditor in an Italian company, active for at least three years;
    • Foreign citizens who intend to set up innovative start-up companies and who have a self-employment relationship with the start-up;
    • Internationally well-known artists, artists of recognised high professional qualification or artists who are hired by well-known Italian theatres, important public institutions, public television or well-known national private television;
  • 4,000 quotas for conversion from seasonal to standard work permits, for non-EU nationals already in Italy/EU.

Erickson Insights