DECRETO FLUSSI 2019 OPENING DATES – ITALY SEASONAL VISA

Italy has finally announced ‘Decreto Flussi’ opening dates. This means interested people will be able to apply for seasonal and non seasonal visas. According to Italian government, the ‘Decreto Flussi’ opening dates are as follows:

For Non-Seasonal visas (non stagionale): 16 April 2019 from 9AM

For Seasonal visa (lavoro subordinato stagionale): 24 April 2019 from 9AM

You can read here Official Gazette of 9 April (Click here to download)

From 11 April 2019 the forms are available for the pre-compilation of the applications for all types of entries and the deadline for applying is set for 31 December 2019.

WHAT IS THE SEASONAL WORK VISA QUOTA IN 2019?

The final quota for this years has been announced. A total of 30,850 foreigners can apply for seasonal and non seasonal visas. Out of total, 18,000 has been set aside for the seasonal workers for agricultural and tourism jobs. Workers from only following countries can apply for seasonal work visa:

Pakistan has been excluded from the list first time ever for seasonal visas. This is may be because Pakistan has still not had signed the agreement with the Italian government for the repatriation of its immigrants from Italy. Hopefully once the agreement is done, Pakistan will be again added into he eligible countries list.

*A quota of 2,000 units is reserved for non-EU workers in the aforementioned countries who have already worked in Italy in the previous five years seasonal employment, if the employer applies for a multi-year authorization .

On the other hand, 12,500 is for no-seasonal workers with following distribution:

Work Visa (lavoro subordinato) Conversions into Residence Permit (permessi di soggiorno)

• 4,750 residence permits for seasonal work;
• 3,500 residence permits for study, training and / or professional training;
• 800 EU residence permits for long-term residents issued to third-country nationals from another EU Member State.

New Visas

• 500 non-EU foreign nationals residing abroad, who have completed training and education programs in their countries of origin (pursuant to Article 23 of the Legislative Decree of 25 July 1998, No. 286;
• 100 workers of Italian origin on the part of at least one of the parents up to the third degree in direct line of descent, residing in Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Brazil.

Conversion of Self-Employment into Residence Permit

• 700 residence permits for study, training and / or professional training;
• 100 EU residence permits for long-term residents, issued to third-country nationals from another EU Member State.

New Self-Employment Visas

A total of 2400 self-employment visas will be issued to the non-EU nationals in 2019 for the following categories:

• entrepreneurs who intend to implement an investment plan of interest to the Italian economy, which foresees the use of own resources not less than 500,000 euros and coming from legitimate sources, as well as the creation of at least three new jobs;
• professionals who intend to exercise regulated or supervised professions, or who are not regulated but represented at national level by associations registered in lists kept by public administrations;
• holders of corporate positions in administration and control;
• renowned artists of high and well-known professional qualifications, hired by public or private bodies, in the presence of the requirements expressly provided for by the interministerial decree 11 May 2011, n. 850;
• foreign citizens who intend to set up innovative start-ups, in the presence of the requirements provided for by the same law and who are holders of an independent employment relationship with the company.