The Italian government has officially announced the issuance of 497,550 work permit Visas to Non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028. The visa quota was approved by the cabinet of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The government plans to distribute the permits between 2026 and 2028: 164,850 permits will be issued in 2026, and the remaining 332,700 permits will be issued gradually between 2027 and 2028.
This visa's new quota evolved from a framework executed between 2023 and 2025 when 450,000 work permits were issued to foreign nationals outside the European Union (EU) to address critical labour shortages.
This Italy’s new visa policy is driven by declining workforce and economic challenges caused by a declining population. It's important to know that low birth rates and an aging population are reducing the number of working-age people, creating labor shortages in key industries.
It's worth noting that deaths outnumbered births by 281,000 in 2024 and the population dropping by 37,000 in the same year. So, to sustain economic growth and population size, Italy may need to welcome 10 million foreign workers by 2050.
However, this new work permit Visas is targeting labor shortages in key sectors driven by real business demand such as Agriculture—vital for food security—as will construction, tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and manufacturing. These are the sectors that face the most workforce shortage in Italy.
This expanded visa quota will simplify application processes for Non-EU job finders. It'll will also digitize documentation for faster processing, and opens more job opportunities in the shortage sectors.
In addition to that, te policy promises legal protections, including access to healthcare and social security, and also removes restrictions on converting permits. This is another clear path to long-term residency in Italy for Non-EU nationals.
