US EditionA Propos - Meloni's Government to Issue 500,000 Visas for Non-EU Workers
ITALY, JUN 30 – Italy's government plans to issue 497,550 work visas from 2026-2028 to address labor shortages, with over half allocated for seasonal roles in agriculture and tourism, officials said.
- From 2026 through 2028, Italy’s government intends to grant close to half a million work permits to non-European Union workers to help alleviate labor shortages in key industries.
- This decision follows lower visa application rates in recent years and a growing need due to Italy's aging population and declining birthrate.
- The visas target sectors like agriculture, tourism, technology, healthcare, engineering, and manufacturing, with over half allocated for seasonal work.
- Maria Grazia Gabrielli noted only 7.5-7.8 percent of quotas led to residence permits in 2023-2024, highlighting inefficiencies, while Coldiretti called the plan an "important step forward".
- While expanding legal immigration pathways, experts and unions call for structural reforms to better match labor needs and protect migrant workers in Italy.
32 Articles
32 Articles
A propos - Meloni's government to issue 500,000 visas for non-EU workers
She made curbing migration a keystone of her successful 2022 election campaign. Now, the government of hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has agreed to let almost 500,000 documented immigrants enter Italy over the next three years. Her cabinet has announced that it would be issuing work visas for nearly half a million non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028.
The Italian ultra-conservative government of Giorgia Meloni announced on Monday 30 June that it would issue nearly 500,000 new working visas to non-European nationals,
Italy to issue 500,000 non-EU work visas over three years
Italy's hard-right government has agreed to issue 500,000 visas for non-EU workers over the next three years, but a top trade union warned Tuesday that only structural change would tackle labour shortages. The government of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a total of 497,550 workers would be allowed in over the 2026-2028 period, starting with around 165,000 in 2026. This is up from the 450,000 quota set by Meloni's government for 202…
Italy deals with agreements, border controls and stricter rules against irregular migration. At the same time, more work visas are intended to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers.
A decree adopted on Monday evening provides for the authorization of 497.550 admissions from 2026 to 2028 divided between non-seasonal and self-employment, and seasonal work in the agricultural and tourist sectors.
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