In a joint circular (No. 7185) released on 1 October and publicised on 22 October, the Italian Ministries of Interior, Labour, Agriculture and Tourism set out the operational calendar for the 2027 immigration quotas under the multi-year ‘Decreto Flussi’. Employers can pre-populate applications on the ALI online portal from 23 October until 7 December 2026, ahead of the four ‘click-days’ in January and February when submissions go live. For 2027 Italy will admit 76,200 non-EU nationals for non-seasonal employment, 89,000 for seasonal work and 650 for self-employment and start-ups. Notably, Kenya has been added to the list of eligible nationalities, expanding recruitment options for agricultural and tourism employers. The circular also tightens timelines: once the authorities issue the nulla osta (entry clearance), companies now have 15 days (down from 30) to confirm acceptance, and new hires must sign the contract of stay within 15 days of arrival instead of eight. The streamlined schedule aims to reduce bottlenecks that left thousands of 2026 quotas unused. Immigration advisers recommend that HR teams gather corporate documents, local police clearances and employee credentials now so they can auto-populate the portal when it opens. The ALI system rejects incomplete files and locks users out for 24 hours after three failed attempts, so early testing is advised. Multinationals with Italian entities should coordinate centrally because click-day traffic is intense—recent years saw quotas fill in under one hour. Some sectors, such as road transport, also have sub-quotas requiring additional documentation like CPC driver certificates. While political debate around immigration remains heated, the generous quota increase signals that Rome sees foreign labour as critical ahead of the 2027 tourist season and major infrastructure projects tied to EU recovery funds. Finally, companies should watch for implementing decrees on the new points-based integration system mandated by Legislative Decree 83/2026; failure of workers to meet language and civics milestones could jeopardise permit renewals after 2028.
Source: Eres Legal
