Italy’s work visa is also possible in particular cases without Decreto Flussi quotas. Some believe it is only possible through Decreto Flussi but it is possible in other ways as well. As regards entry and stay for highly skilled workers, the Consolidated Law allows for the issue of the so-called “EU Blue Card”, outside the quotas established by the “Flows Decree”, a two-year residence permit, in the case of permanent employment, or with a duration equal to that of the employment relationship plus 3 months, in other cases.
Furthermore, the issue of a residence permit is also foreseen for foreign students in possession of a visa for study reasons, valid for the entire duration of the study course and the relative declaration of presence. It should be noted that the residence permit for study or training reasons allows, for the period of validity of the same, the exercise of subordinate work activities for a time not exceeding 20 hours per week, which can also be accumulated for 52 weeks, without prejudice to the limit of 1,040 hours annually.
The non-EU citizen who is abroad and who, for training purposes, wants to activate an internship relationship with companies in Italy, functional to the completion of a training course begun in his/her own country, must apply to the diplomatic missions – Italian consular offices where he/she resides, an entry visa for study/training reasons which is issued within the limits of a three-year quota determined by the Interministerial Decree of 9 July 2020.
Categories of work visa of Italy without decreto flussi
This is possible for entry visas and residence permits for subordinate work, for each of the following categories of foreign workers:
- translators and interpreters;
- university exchange lecturers or native speakers;
- university professors destined to carry out an academic assignment in Italy;
- executives or highly specialized personnel of companies;
- seafarers employed to the extent and in the manner established in the Implementing Regulation;
- family collaborators who have been regularly working abroad for at least one year full-time domestic employment relationships with Italian citizens or citizens of one of the Member States of the European Union residing abroad, who move to Italy for the continuation of their domestic work relationship;
- persons who, authorized to reside for professional training reasons, carry out temporary training periods with Italian employers;
- employees regularly paid by employers, natural or legal persons, resident or based abroad and directly paid by them, who are temporarily transferred from abroad to Italian or foreign natural or legal persons, resident in Italy, to order to perform certain services covered by the procurement contract in Italy;
- workers employed in circuses or traveling shows abroad;
- artistic and technical personnel for opera, theatre, concert or ballet performances;
- dancers, artists and musicians to be employed at entertainment venues;
- artists to be employed by musical, theatrical or cinematographic bodies or by public or private radio or television companies, or by public bodies, in the context of cultural or folkloric events;
- foreigners destined to carry out any type of professional sports activity in Italian sports clubs pursuant to Law 23 March 1981, n. 91;
- correspondent journalists officially accredited in Italy and regularly paid employees of newspapers or periodicals, or of foreign radio or television broadcasters;
- persons who, according to the provisions of international agreements in force with Italy, carry out research activities or occasional work in Italy in the context of youth exchange programs or mobility of young people or persons placed “au pair”;
- professional nurses employed in public and private healthcare facilities;
- show business workers who must be hired by employers for needs related to the creation and production of shows.
What is the entry visa for Italy?
The entry visa is issued by the representative diplomatic or consular offices in the country of origin or stable residence of the non-EU applicant. For stays not exceeding three months they are equivalent to visas issued by diplomatic missions and Italian consulates those issued, on the basis of specific agreements, by the diplomatic or consular authorities of other States.
At the same time as the entry visa is issued, the authority Italian diplomatic or consular post delivers to the foreigner a written communication in a language that he understands or, failing that, in English, French, Spanish, or Arabic, explaining the rights and duties of the foreigner relating to entry and stay in Italy. If the requirements established by law are not met in force to proceed with the issuance of the visa, the authority diplomatic or consular communicates the refusal to the applicant.
Entry into Italy can be allowed with visas for short-term stays, valid up to 90 days, and for stays long-term involving the holder the granting of a residence permit in Italy with the same reasoning as that mentioned in the visa. For stays of less than three months, they will be the reasons explicitly indicated in visas are also considered valid issued by diplomatic or consular authorities of other States in based on specific international agreements signed and ratified by Italy or in accordance with Community standards.