Work Permit Quotas for 2019 Published

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At a Glance

• The overall quota for foreign workers in Italy remains unchanged at 30,850, although allocations for various categories have been amended.
• Employers can file applications for work permits under the new quota starting April 16, 2019, and for seasonal work permits under the new quota starting April 24, 2019.

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The situation

Italian authorities have published the work permit quota figures for 2019. The overall quota remains unchanged at 30,850.

A closer look

Specific new allocations are below:

As before, several categories of foreign workers are exempt from the quota, including intracompany transferees, highly-skilled workers, executives and managers temporarily assigned to an Italian branch of their home employer, among others.

Impact

Employers should consider the amended quota figures when planning their recruitment policy for foreign workers.

Background

Several EU countries apply a work permit quota to limit the number of work permits that can be issued to foreign workers, typically based on the national labor market and policy priorities for economic development.

In Italy, the quota is typically exhausted in the course of a year. However, because the main immigration processes in Italy are exempt from the quota (such as the Intracompany Transferee permit and the EU Blue Card), the quota only applies in limited circumstances.

Looking ahead

Employers can file applications for work permits under the new quota starting April 16, 2019, and for seasonal work permits under the new quota starting April 24, 2019.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].