Find here the latest updates about Italy’s amnesty scheme and Decreto Flussi 2020 (updated on 15.10.2020). Italian Prime Minister finally got success in getting his cabinet to agree to give residence permits to undocumented immigrants. Immigration law was finalized on 19 May 2020 and has been added to official Gazzate. Check it out here.
Italy immigration, amnesty scheme 2020
Immigrants working in the agricultural sector and home care will be able to benefit from the new scheme. Italy’s governing coalition parties (the Democratic Party (PD), Italia Viva (IV), the Free and Equal Party (LeU), and the 5-Star Movement) have finally agreed to introduce changes to employment permits for migrants in the country. It will allow temporary work permits to be issued to migrants to work at farms and as carers.
The Minister of Agriculture “Teresa Bellanova” is very satisfied from the agreement on the regulation, as she already announced that if the amnesty had been rejected, she would have resigned.
Yes amnesty for migrants: 6-month residence permit
Undocumented immigrants will be able to get a 6-months temporary residence permit. As per the latest numbers, almost 500,000 to 600,000 illegal immigrants may benefit from this new regulation.
Who can apply for an amnesty residence permit?
Regularization of foreign workers and farmworkers as well as domestic helpers and caregivers will be done through new regulations. It means undocumented workers who have been working in these streams already will be able to apply for residence permits. All workers who have been identified with a photo report before 8 March 2020 will be able to access this measure. Or who can instead declare that they have resided in Italy continuously before that date?
When and how to apply?
Final dates will be confirmed in the next coming days but it is said to be from 1st June to 15th July.
How much will it cost?
There are two ways an application can be submitted:
- if the employer applies, he will have to pay 500 Euros for each worker.
- 130 Euros are to be paid for the application if it is submitted by the foreigner/applicant himself.
For which sectors, immigrants can apply for a residence permit?
- Housework
- Livestock
- Aquaculture
- Agriculture
- breeding
- Fishing
When will the Decreto Flussi start in 2020?
Italy finally announces the Decreto Flussi 2020 opening dates.
Finally, Decreto Flussi 2020 dates have been announced by the Ministry of Interior Italy. After a delay of almost 5 to 6 months, Decreto Flussi was published on 12 October 2020 in the Official Journal (G.U. General Series, no. 252, of 12 October 2020).
The maximum quota of subordinate non-EU workers, seasonal and non-seasonal, and self-employed workers who will be able to enter Italy this year is 30,850.
Here you will find complete details of the opening and closing dates of Decreto Flussi 2020 for seasonal and nonseasonal visas.
1- Seasonal VisasDecretto Flussi 2020 Opening Dates for seasonal visas
For Nonseasonal visa applications can be sent from 9 am on 27 October next.
Pre-compilation of application forms and the deadline for sending
From 9 am on 13 October 2020, the application for pre-filling the application forms will be available, by accessing the dedicated IT procedure on the website https://nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it, which can only be accessed with SPID credentials. Applications can be submitted until 31 December 2020.
Eligible countries for seasonal visas
The following non-EU countries’ candidates are eligible to apply under decreto flussi (seasonal visas) of 2020:
- Albania
- Algeria
- Bangladesh
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Korea (Republic of Korea)
- Ivory Coast
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Ethiopia
- Philippines
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Japan
- India
- Kosovo
- Mali
- Morocco
- Mauritius
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Republic of North Macedonia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Tunisia
- Ukraine
Decreto Flussi 2020 Quota for seasonal visas
The quotas will be divided between the regions and the autonomous provinces, by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies. 18,000 visas have been reserved for seasonal employment in the agricultural and tourist-hotel sectors. As part of this quota, by way of experimentation, 6,000 units are reserved for agricultural workers from the same countries, the requests of which will be presented, in the name and on behalf of the employers, by the following organizations: Cia, Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, Copagri, Alliance of cooperatives (includes Lega cooperatives and Confcooperative). Whereas 1,000 of the 18,000 quotas are reserved for entrances for multi-year seasonal work.
What is a multi-year seasonal work visa?
The multi-year seasonal visa is without the limitation of 9-month normal visa duration. One of the main advantages of the multi-year permit is that of allowing the seasonal worker to enter Italy the following year regardless of the publication of the flows decree for seasonal work. The request for employment in the event of a multi-year seasonal permit for the years following the first can also be made by an employer other than the employer who has obtained the three-year permit for seasonal work.
2- Non-Seasonal VisasDecreto Flussi 2020 Quota and opening dates for nonseasonal visas
There has also been a quota reserved for non-seasonal visas. About 12,850 visas are reserved for entrances for non-seasonal and self-employed work reasons and among these, another novelty this year, 6,000 are reserved for entries for non-seasonal subordinate work in the road transport, construction, and tourism-hotel sectors for citizens of countries that have signed or are about to sign cooperation agreements in migration matters with Italy.
Eligible countries for non-seasonal visas
Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Korea (Republic Korea), Ivory Coast, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Philippines, Gambia, Ghana, Japan, India, Kosovo, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of North Macedonia, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the countries that during the year 2020 have to stipulate cooperation agreements in the migration field. The remaining shares are divided between entries of non-EU citizens who have completed training and education programs in their countries of origin, entries of workers of Italian origin residing in Venezuela, and entries of non-EU citizens for self-employment, as well as between conversions of residence permits already held for other reasons in residence permits for subordinate work and self-employment. The relative requests can be sent starting from 9 am on 22 October.
Detailed quota distribution of non-seasonal visas
There has been set aside distribution of quota among different types of non-seasonal work visas. Out of 12,850, a total of 6,150 visas are reserved for those who must convert the residence permit already held for another reason into work. This quota of 6,150 has further division as follows:
- There have been reserved 4,060 visas for those with a residence permit for seasonal work to be converted into a residence permit for non-seasonal subordinate work.
- 1,500 visas have been reserved for those with a residence permit for study, internship, and/or professional training to be converted into a residence permit for subordinate work.
- Those with a residence permit for study, internship, and/or professional training to be converted into a residence permit for self-employment will have a quota of 370.
- Candidates who have an EC residence permit for long-term residents issued not by Italy but by another Member State of the European Union to be converted into a residence permit for subordinate work are given a quota of 200.
- Those who have an EC long-term residence permit issued by another EU Member State to be converted into a residence permit for self-employment have been given a quota of 20.
Furthermore, out of a total of 12,850, a total of 6,700 foreign workers will be admitted to Italy for non-seasonal subordinate work and self-employment. This quota has also had specific divisions as follows:
- A total of 6,000 visas are reserved for recruitment in the road transport, construction, and tourism-hotel sectors. 4,500 out of it are reserved for the aforementioned countries. Whereas 1,500 has been reserved for the citizens of other countries with whom cooperation agreements on migration will enter into force during the year 2020.
- For foreign workers who have completed training and education programs in the countries of origin pursuant to art. 23 of the legislative decree 25 July 1998, n. 286 will be able to use a quota of 100.
- 100 visas have been reserved for foreign workers of Italian origin for at least one of the parents up to the third degree of the direct line of ancestry, residing in Venezuela.
- 500 self-employed workers will be allowed to come as well under this category.
Important note: According to the circular issued on 8 October 2020 for the road transport sector for third parties, the application for a permit for subordinate work is only allowed in favor of driver workers, equipped with professional licenses equivalent to CE category licenses, citizens of countries that issue driving licenses equivalent to the CE category and convertible in Italy based on existing reciprocity agreements. These agreements are with Sri Lanka, Algeria, Moldova, Morocco, the Republic of North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Ukraine.