Entry into State territory
Legislative Decree 145/2024 establishes that foreign nationals applying for a national visa in Italy (e.g., blue card, family reasons, etc.) must undergo biometric data collection during the consular interview. This measure will come into effect on January 11, 2025.
Additionally, a further change concerning national visas is the removal of the prior notification of rejection during the application process. This measure, aiming to streamline consular procedures, will also come into effect in 2025.
Removal of quotas in the Flow Decree for converting long-term residence permits
Following amendments already introduced by the Decreto Cutro, quotas are now eliminated for converting seasonal permits and long-term residence permits issued by another EU State.
Mandatory digital domicile for employers
Employers will be required to provide a PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata – Certified Email Address), registered as a digital domicile in the INI-PEC database (for legal entities required to register with the Business Register) or the INAD database (for legal entities not subject to such registration and for individuals).
Digitalization of the Stay Agreement
The Decree introduces further simplification for worker entry procedures. Until now, workers and employers were required to visit the competent Prefecture Office within 8 days of entry into the national territory to sign the Stay Agreement and Integration Agreement. These procedures will now be digitized.
Employers must attach the housing suitability certificate and the sworn statement with a digital signature to the application so that Prefectures already have the original documents.
This change eliminates the need for employers to submit original documents to the Prefecture. They will be able to sign the stay agreement digitally within 8 days, while the worker may sign either digitally or by hand.
If the required documentation is not sent within 8 days, the work permit will be revoked, and the worker will be required to leave the country.
Employer confirmation before Visa issuance
To combat the issue of employers failing to complete hiring procedures for workers they have requested work permits for, as of January, employers will be required to confirm their intent to hire the employee when the worker applies for a visa.
When the worker submits their visa application to the Consulate, the Unified Immigration Desk will receive a notification, which will then be forwarded via PEC to the employer. The employer must confirm their intention to proceed within 7 days of receiving the notification. If no response is provided, the work permit will be revoked.
Inadmissibility of applications
Applications from employers will be deemed inadmissible if, in the three years prior, they have not signed the stay agreement for previous work permit requests or, at the time of submission, are subject to a decree for trial or conviction for the offense of illegal intermediation and labor exploitation (Article 603-bis of the Penal Code).
Reduction of time for labour market testing
Since 2022, employers have been required to consult the competent employment centers to verify the availability of workers already present in Italy to fill the role indicated in their job offer for a foreign worker residing abroad.
The timeframe for the employment center to respond to such requests is reduced from 15 to 8 days.