The Italian law system provides two categories of national work visas, both for employees or self-employed, depending on the kind of job contract the worker is offered.
A) WORK PERMIT WITHIN THE QUOTAS SYSTEM
The number of foreign citizens that are admitted in Italy for work purposes is defined every year by the Entry Quotas established by the Italian Government through the special Immigration law ( in Italian “Decreto Flussi” ). This law provides with quotas for autonomous and subordinated work.
However, please be aware that you need to have a job offer by an Italian company or proven economic capacity to set up your own Company before submitting such application.
Please note that on 12 October 2020 Italy enacted the annual decree setting forth the quotas for 2020 that apply for different categories of foreign workers in Italy. Applications for work permits must be submitted in Italian to the local immigration authorities via a dedicated website (https://nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it/Ministero). Applications are being accepted on 22 October 2020 starting from 9:00am for “non-seasonal” workers, self-employed individuals, and on 27 October 2020 from 9:00am for “seasonal” workers. The deadline for presenting application is December 31st, 2020.
Please be informed that our firm does not provide assistance within these procedures.
B) HIGHLY QUALIFIED WORKER
According to Italian Legislative Decree nr. 286/98, art. 27, some categories of high qualified workers, such as executives or highly qualified employees of foreign companies with offices in Italy or employees of foreign companies working in Italy for the purposes of performing specific assignments, are exempted from the quota system.
- European Blue Card
There is also a second option to obtain a work visa, which is name as European Blue Card: it is a new institution introduced by the EU law, which has been adopted in Italy in 2012.
The Blue Card allows highly skilled non-EU nationals to live and work in Italy. To be eligible for Blue Card, the non-EU national must have a confirmed job offer or contract with a sponsoring employer in Italy and to hold at least three-year university degree.
General eligibility requirements
- a suitable accommodation in Italy;
- financial resources exceeding the minimum level set by the law for the exemption from healthcare contribution;
- obtain a Police Clearance (so called “Nulla Osta”) in Italy;
- certificates, documents, attestations as required for the type of self-employment activity to be performed (applicants must meet the legal requirements for the performance of the activity in question, including – when required – the prerequisites for entering into professional registers).
Pay attention: not all self-employment categories are available each year.
According to our experience, it is extremely difficult, despite the availability of quotas, to obtain the issuance of a self-employment work visa. Most Consulates have a very restrictive policy and are very cautious before issuing a visa to an applicant who cannot guarantee to have a stable occupation and substantial remuneration in the country.
Despite obtaining the necessary clearances in Italy, we see that many applications are rejected by Consulates on various grounds.
If you wish to receive more information, please feel free to enquire us at info@theitalianlawyer.com