Italy to issue half a million non-EU work visas over the next three years

Italy plans to issue around 500,000 working visas for non-European Union citizens between 2026 and 2028 to address the labour shortage. The initiative follows the previous decision to issue more than 450,000 permits from 2023 to 2025. The move aims to support businesses and combat the effects of an ageing population, and areas of benefit, such as date of birth, especially in agriculture.

Italy will issue nearly 500,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals from 2026 to 2028, a cabinet statement said on Monday as part of a strategy to expand legal immigration channels in response to labour shortages. A total of 164,850 people will be allowed in next year, aiming to reach a cumulative total of 497,550 new entries by 2028.

It is the second such move Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made since she took office nearly three years ago as the head of a right-wing coalition. The government had already decided to issue over 450,000 permits to migrants between 2023 and 2025. Alongside rules to allow in new workers, Meloni has taken a tough stance against illegal arrivals, moving to speed up repatriations and curbing the activities of charities rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

“The quotas were determined taking into account the needs expressed by the social partners and the actual applications for work permits submitted in previous years, with the aim of a programme that responds ot the needs of businesses and is also realistic,” the statement said.

An ageing population and a sagging birthrate highlight the need to attract foreign workers in the euro zone’s third-largest economy. There were some 281,000 more deaths than births in 2024. The population decreased by 37,000 to 58.93 million, continuing a decade-long trend. Agricultural lobby Coldiretti welcomed the government’s plan, saying it represented an important step to guarantee the availability of workers in the fields and the country’s food production.

“The government will continue with determination to allow legal migration channels benefiting important sectors of our economy,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told daily La Stampa on Sunday. To counter the ongoing depopulation and maintain current levels of inhabitants, Italy would need to take in at least 10 million immigrants by 2050, according to research by the Osservatorio Conti Pubblici think tank.

#bookmybooking #italytourism #labourshortage #italyworkvisa #visapolicy #visanews

Select your currency

Suggested for you

All currency

Flat 25% Off on First Stay!

News Details

Italy To Issue Half A Million Non-EU Work Visas Over The Next Three Years

News Source : Economic Times