Italian authorities have issued a directive that aims at regulating work for migrant workers, allowing holders of seasonal residence permits to continue working in the country while they are waiting for their permits.
According to local media, migrants will now be allowed to work legally in the country as their seasonal residence permit is converted to a regular work permit, Schengen.News reports.
This measure intends to protect workers’ rights by preventing irregular employment and income loss among these workers.
Seasonal Workers to Be Allowed to Work While Waiting on Permit Decision
In addition, the new directive will also allow seasonal workers to start work even earlier than expected – before their application to convert their permit is formally approved, provided that certain conditions are met.
These conditions include the following:
- The migrant worker has to present a receipt confirming the submission of the conversion of their seasonal residence permit into a non-seasonal work permit.
- The candidate has to submit the Unilav form electronically for regular employment.
- The candidate has to have the employment relationship registered with Italy’s social security institution (INPS), in case of domestic workers.
The new directive targets the gap in Italy’s immigration and labour system – as the country does have labour shortages but also is one of the regions that is most vulnerable to irregular migration.
Previously, workers were at a disadvantage, unable to work legally and also were exposed to exploitation or financial hardships, as they were waiting for their seasonal work permit to be converted to a residence permit.
Italy to Grant Over 165,000 Visas in 2025
Italy is in need of workers and the country is increasing the number of visas issued to foreign workers. In 2025, 165,000 visas will be issued to foreign workers – up from 151,000 and 136,000 visas granted in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The government has set a quota for seasonal workers and around 93,550 seasonal workers will be issued an Italian Schengen visa in 2025. On the other hand, the maximum limit for this year for foreign seasonal workers is set at 89,050.
Construction workers and healthcare staff is particularly needed, with the Italian authorities planning on issuing 10,000 work visas to foreign care workers in 2025.
The Italian government has implemented a three-year plan, allocating the number of visas that will be issued to foreign workers. This scheme will apply to all professions where a labour shortage is reported.