Just nine days after the annual immigration quota decree was gazetted, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies has published Circular n.º 7185 (8 October 2026) setting out the operational timetable and documentation rules for the 2027 quota intake of non-EU workers. Employers will be able to pre-compile applications on the ALI e-portal from 23 October to 7 December, with formal submission (the so-called ‘click-day’) expected in early January 2027 once the interior ministry issues the coordinating decree. For 2027 the government confirms the headline ceiling of 165,000 work permits already approved in the three-year 2026-28 planning decree, but introduces several usability tweaks demanded by business associations. Most notably, employers will be allowed to reuse a previously validated training plan when sponsoring seasonal workers who return to the same company, reducing paperwork for sectors such as agri-food and tourism. A new fast lane is also created for STEM graduates recruited directly from Italian university job fairs. The circular clarifies that digital-nomad and intra-company transferee permits remain outside the quota—good news for multinationals relocating managers. However, the labour ministry warns that applications filed with incomplete documentation will be automatically relegated to the bottom of the queue once the quota is reached, a rule that last year left more than 12,000 dossiers without allocation. HR teams should therefore start gathering legalized diplomas, police clearances and sworn translations immediately, particularly for candidates resident in jurisdictions with long processing times. Companies using outsourcing providers must verify that power-of-attorney letters reference the new circular to avoid portal rejections. Trade unions acknowledge that the earlier pre-filing window gives labour offices more time to vet contracts but still criticise the quota system as “inadequate” compared with market demand: Italy’s employers federation Confindustria estimates a shortfall of at least 230,000 workers in construction and logistics alone for 2027.
Source: Progetto Omnia
