New Italian Decreto Flussi 2026-2028 I ILF

2025 Quota – Record High Under Previous Plan

Italy’s Council of Ministers has confirmed the work visa quota for 2025 at 165,000 foreign workers, marking the highest annual intake under the 2023–2025 immigration plan. This quota is part of a three-year framework that authorized a total of around 450,000 entries from 2023 to 2025. The 2025 cap represents a significant increase compared to 2023 (136,000 permits) and 2024 (151,000), reflecting Italy’s growing demand for foreign labor. Government officials note that these controlled admissions aim to address labor shortages in key industries while curbing irregular migration. However, the actual uptake of these slots has been low – for instance, only 7.8% of the 2024 quota translated into issued work permits (about 9,331 permits out of 119,890 available), highlighting implementation challenges in converting quotas to real employment.

New Three-Year Plan (2026–2028) – Half a Million Work Permits

In late June 2025, the Italian government approved a new “Decreto Flussi” decree for 2026–2028, paving the way for a substantial expansion of legal immigration channels. The plan authorizes nearly 500,000 regular work entries over the next three years – an increase of about 50,000 compared to the previous 450k plan. Similarly, in 2026 alone, up to 164,850 non-EU workers will be allowed into Italy for employment. The government indicates the annual quota will rise slightly in subsequent years of the plan to accommodate economic needs.

Officials emphasize that this decree is designed to align legal migrant labor inflows with Italy’s job market needs while combating unauthorized migration. “The goal is to allow entry of indispensable workforce not otherwise available, in a way that is realistic and meets businesses’ demands,” a government note explains. The initiative is also tied to foreign policy: preferential visa slots will be reserved for workers from countries that cooperate with Italy in discouraging illegal migration. In fact, nations that run media campaigns to warn their citizens about the dangers of irregular migration and collaborate with Italy will receive dedicated quota allotments, proportional to past successful entries from those countries. This strategy seeks to encourage bilateral partnerships to manage migration flows more safely and lawfully.

Quota Breakdown by Sector and Categories

The new decree details how the 2025 and 2026 quotas are distributed across labor sectors and worker categories. In 2025, as in the new plan, the largest shares target two broad groups: seasonal labor and non-seasonal (including autonomous) work. Under the 2026–2028 program, out of the 164,850 slots for 2026, 88,000 are allocated to seasonal jobs in agriculture and tourism. The remaining 76,850 spots in 2026 are for non-seasonal employment, including both hired workers in various industries and self-employed immigrants). Notably, within the non-seasonal quota, domestic care workers (home caregivers and housekeepers) have a protected sub-quota – 13,600 entries in 2026 specifically for foreign “colf e badanti” (domestic helpers). This dedicated allotment for family care roles will increase modestly in later years as Italy anticipates growing need for caregivers.

The sector-based distribution was determined in consultation with employers’ organizations and reflects which industries face labor shortages. Agriculture and tourism – sectors heavily reliant on seasonal labor – together account for over half of the three-year intake (267,000 of the 497,550 planned entries). Meanwhile, construction, manufacturing, and caregiving fall under the non-seasonal category (roughly 230,550 over 2026–28). Labor ministry officials underscore that these quotas were set after analyzing actual demand in recent years, including hw many work permit applications were submitted historically per category. The aim is to avoid underutilized slots and ensure the numbers “are realistic” given Italy’s absorption capacity.

‘Click Day’ 2026 – Application Dates and Future Changes

The government’s approval also brings clarity on the much-anticipated “click day” dates for 2026, when employers can start submitting online work permit applications for the new quotas. The decree confirms that the current online application system (click day) will remain in place for the upcoming intake, though reforms are on the horizon. Pre-filing of applications will open in the autumn of 2025, and then the actual submission windows (“click days”) are expected in early 2026. According to initial official scheduls, the first click day is slated for January 12, 2026 – on this date the system will open for seasonal worker requests in the agriculture sector. A second window will follow on February 9, 2026, dedicated to seasonal hires in tourism. Subsequently, February 16 and 18, 2026 are set for submitting applications for all other categories of work permits, covering non-seasonal employed workers and self-employed visas.

(All dates will be officially confirmed upon publication of the decree in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, but these are the approved timeframes emerging from the government’s plan.)

Employers on those days will compete online for slots, as permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis until the quota is filled. The controversial “click day” mechanism – essentially an online race for permits, has been criticized by businesses and migration experts for years, due to technical bottlenecks and the mismatch between quota allotments and actual hiring needs.

For now, though, click days remain in effect for 2025 and 2026, even as authorities vow to expand out-of-quota work permit channels for highly needed professionals. This could include year-round sponsorship programs or training-and-hiring agreements with origin countries, which would run outside the annual cap and reduce reliance on the one-day application rush.

Outlook and Implementation Insights

With the 2025 quota at its highest and a new three-year scheme set to admit half a million foreign workers by 2028, Italy is signaling that legal migration is a cornerstone of its economic strategy.

However, turning these paper quotas into real jobs remains a challenge. The low conversion rate of recent quotas into actual work permits (under 10% in 2024) underscores bureaucratic delays and procedural hurdles in the system. To address this, officials have introduced new measures such as provincial allocations of quotas – starting in 2026, the nationwide quota will be divided by province to better match local labor demand. This territorial distribution aims to prevent certain regions from exhausting the quota at the expense of others, and to simplify the processing by decentralizing it. Additionally, the focus on training programs abroad for prospective workers is meant to ensure migrants arrive job-ready and integrate faster.

Need legal advice about coming to Italy for work?

If you’re an employer planning to hire non-EU workers under the new quotas, or a foreign national with a job opportunity in Italy, navigating the legal and bureaucratic procedures can be complex. From understanding your eligibility and preparing application documents to managing click day submissions and ensuring compliance with immigration rules, professional legal support can make the process faster, clearer, and more secure. Our team at ILF Law Firm is ready to assist with tailored legal advice.

Important Update!

Please consider that we are a law firm. We do not offer any kind of employment. Therefore, regarding the immigration flows, please do not send us CVs, job applications, or requests related to job seeking. We provide legal services and can assist only those who already have a job offer or contract, or employers who require legal support in the hiring process.