(ITALY) Italy has approved a new Italy work visa quota for 2026–2028 that will open up a record 497,550 places for foreign workers, a three-year plan aimed at easing labor shortages and steering more hiring into legal channels. The plan sets out the number of visas available each year—164,850 in 2026, 165,850 in 2027, and 166,850 in 2028—with quotas split between non-seasonal and seasonal roles and new rules designed to speed up processing and match permits to local needs. It offers expanded pathways for non-EU workers, including Indian nationals, across agriculture, tourism, caregiving, construction, hospitality, and certain skilled professions.
Officials say the 2026-2028 permits mark the largest flow decree in years, with 230,550 places reserved for non-seasonal and self-employed workers and 267,000 for seasonal jobs, largely in farms and tourism businesses. The government kept the “click day” system, where applications are filed online and handled on a first-come, first-served basis, and mapped out the timetable for the first year of the plan. For 2026, applications will open on staggered dates: January 12 for seasonal workers in agriculture, February 9 for seasonal workers in tourism, February 16 for non-seasonal workers from countries with migration cooperation agreements, and February 18 for all other non-seasonal workers. Pre-registration will begin in late 2025 to let applicants load details before the system opens.
The plan will also reshape where permits land inside the country. For the first time, Italy will divide the national quotas by province within ten days after each application deadline, an attempt to better align incoming workers with local labor shortages. Authorities will also automatically cancel work permits that do not result in a visa within six months, a measure meant to free up unused places quickly and avoid bottlenecks.
An official statement described the goal of the decree in stark terms given the strain on several industries.
“The goal is to allow entry of indispensable workforce not otherwise available, in a way that is realistic and meets businesses’ demands,”
an official government note states. Coldiretti, Italy’s main agribusiness group, praised the decision after years of complaints from farm owners about unfilled jobs and crops left in the fields. The association called the measure an “important step to guarantee workers in the field and in food production.” Trade unions, however, warned that expanding quotas will not fix weaknesses in how visas are turned into actual work and stable status. Maria Grazia Gabrielli, a senior official at the CGIL union, said
“only 7.5% to 7.8% of visa quotas have been converted into residence permits in the last two years,”
calling for “a structural reform to facilitate legal hiring and protect workers from criminal networks.”
The 2026–2028 permits are split broadly to reflect where the gaps are most severe. Seasonal places will channel workers to agriculture and tourism during peak periods. Non-seasonal and self-employed slots, totaling 230,550 places over the three years, will support sectors like construction, hospitality, and caregiving. Skilled roles in areas such as healthcare, IT, and engineering may also qualify under existing high-skill routes that sit outside the quota, such as the EU Blue Card for certain profiles. The government signaled a major change for family caregiving, announcing plans to allow caregivers for older people and disabled residents to enter outside the quota altogether, removing the previous cap of 10,000 authorizations as demand has surged.
The Italy work visa quota keeps the same core application architecture but adds stricter timelines. Applicants must have a confirmed job offer from an Italian employer and will submit via the interior ministry’s online portal on the relevant click day. The pre-registration period from late 2025 is meant to reduce last-minute errors that can cause a filing to fail on the day; on click day, filings will be time-stamped and placed in a queue. Applications are processed in order of arrival, and successful applicants receive authorization to seek the visa at the Italian consulate in their home country. If a visa is not issued within six months of authorization, the permit is cancelled automatically and does not linger in the system.
Companies and recruitment agencies are already adjusting plans around the new timetable. Employers in agriculture and tourism will aim for the earliest windows—January 12 and February 9—to secure seasonal staff before spring and summer starts. Non-seasonal filings will be split across February 16 for nationals of countries with migration cooperation agreements and February 18 for all other applicants, a small but practical nod to Italy’s pledge to prioritize countries that help combat irregular migration and support public information campaigns about the dangers of traveling without proper papers. The government said this priority system will continue during the 2026–2028 period.
For Indian nationals and other non-EU workers, the plan sets out clear opportunity if they can move quickly. Indian citizens can apply under both seasonal and non-seasonal quotas if they secure a job offer and meet documentation rules. Officials noted that countries cooperating with Italy on migration may receive dedicated allotments, which could aid applicants if bilateral arrangements are in place. Advisers who work with applicants say advance preparation will matter even more now that the dates are public.
“Learn basic Italian now—employers prefer it. Connect with Italian agencies or employers early. Caregiving & farming roles have the highest chance of approval,”
said Daria, Immigration Lawyer, Migrate To Europe.
The decree speaks to a broader demographic and economic challenge. Italy’s working-age population has been shrinking, while employers in agriculture, tourism, construction, logistics, and home-based care say they cannot find enough staff. During the 2023–2025 plan, unions and legal aid groups pointed out that only a small fraction of the posted quotas turned into residence permits, with delays and document errors clogging the pipeline. The new plan attempts to fix some of that by forcing faster turnover when visas are not issued, breaking down quotas at the provincial level, and lifting the ceiling for caregivers, who have been in short supply across regions.
Business groups argue that scale matters as much as process. The headline number—497,550 over three years—will be read closely by farms and hospitality companies that rely on seasonal hiring. Coldiretti’s response underlined pressure in the food supply chain, where shortages of pickers and packers ripple into higher costs and wasted produce. Tourism industry leaders say the February windows should help them bring in workers before peak season, but they worry that first-come, first-served filing leaves too much to internet speed and form-filling skill rather than employer need.
Labor advocates point to a different bottleneck: the gap between quota approval and real jobs on the ground. Gabrielli’s warning that
“only 7.5% to 7.8% of visa quotas have been converted into residence permits in the last two years”
goes to the heart of the system’s credibility. Union officials argue that clearer hiring pathways, faster consular processing, and stronger oversight are needed to prevent intermediaries from exploiting workers who do not fully understand the rules. Her call for
“a structural reform to facilitate legal hiring and protect workers from criminal networks”
reflects concerns that any expansion in numbers must be matched by enforcement against fraud.
Even with those concerns, the 2026-2028 permits are likely to attract heavy interest. In past cycles, the click day portals filled within hours, with thousands of employers and agencies racing to upload applications before the cap was hit. The automatic cancellation after six months is intended to recycle unused places into later rounds rather than keeping thousands of “ghost” authorizations in queue. The new provincial allocation system aims to make sure that, for example, agricultural quotas flow to provinces with the biggest harvest-time needs and that construction-heavy provinces can request more non-seasonal workers.
The government also continues to signal that cooperation on migration will count. By reserving visa slots for nationals of countries that work with Italy to fight irregular migration and amplify public awareness about the risks, the decree builds incentives into the Italy work visa quota. The separate click day of February 16 for non-seasonal workers from such cooperative countries gives those applicants a cleaner shot at the non-seasonal pool before it opens to everyone else on February 18.
For individuals, the path is still practical and step-by-step even as the headline number grows. They need an employer’s offer, a valid passport, a contract and supporting documents ready to upload, and a plan to file on the correct day for their category. After filing, they wait in the queue. If their authorization is approved and the consulate issues the visa in time, applicants can travel to Italy and move ahead with registration and work. If the visa is not issued within the six-month window, the authorization disappears and the place goes back to the system.
Caregiving stands out as a rare area where the door may open even wider. By removing the previous cap of 10,000 authorizations for caregivers and allowing entry outside quota, the government is betting that families and social services can fill long-standing gaps quickly. The change reflects reports from local authorities and home-care agencies about long waiting lists and rising costs for families with elderly or disabled relatives.
Officials have encouraged applicants and employers to read the government guidance, which in recent years has been published alongside each wave of click day openings. The Ministry of the Interior manages the application portal and issues notices on deadlines and requirements, and officials say they will post updates ahead of the late-2025 pre-registration period. Anyone planning to file during the 2026 windows can monitor official updates at the Italian Ministry of the Interior.
The government’s messaging around the Italy work visa quota blends economic urgency with a promise of more order.
“The goal is to allow entry of indispensable workforce not otherwise available, in a way that is realistic and meets businesses’ demands,”
the official note says, underscoring the link between vacancies and growth. Coldiretti’s endorsement as an “important step to guarantee workers in the field and in food production” anchors the plan in the realities of farm work that cannot be automated away easily. The union critique highlights what could go wrong if the process jams at the point of conversion to residence permits.
With the clock now ticking toward pre-registration in late 2025 and the first click day on January 12, employers and applicants will be racing to get paperwork in order. Seasonal employers must align staffing plans with harvest and tourist seasons, non-seasonal employers in construction and hospitality will push to file as early as possible, and caregivers and their sponsors will wait for detailed guidance on the route outside quota. The mix of incentives for cooperative countries, provincial distribution, and automatic cancellations suggests the government wants the 2026-2028 permits to move faster and land where they are needed most.
For non-EU workers weighing Italy against other destinations, the message in the numbers is straightforward: nearly half a million legal places over three years, a known timetable, and clearer signals on priority sectors. For Indian citizens, the combination of seasonal and non-seasonal options, potential advantages under cooperation agreements, and practical advice from advisers—
“Learn basic Italian now—employers prefer it. Connect with Italian agencies or employers early. Caregiving & farming roles have the highest chance of approval,”
—sets the tone for what will still be a competitive process. The plan’s success will be judged not only by how fast the click day quotas fill, but by how many authorizations become visas, how many visas become jobs, and whether the workers who arrive find the protections and stability the decree promises to support.
This Article in a Nutshell
Italy’s 2026–2028 work visa decree grants 497,550 places (164,850 in 2026; 165,850 in 2027; 166,850 in 2028) to tackle labor shortages. The plan splits quotas into 230,550 non‑seasonal/self‑employed and 267,000 seasonal roles, preserves the click‑day online application system with pre‑registration in late 2025, and introduces provincial allocation and automatic six‑month cancellations to free unused places. Caregivers will be allowed entry outside the quota, and priority windows favor countries cooperating on migration.
