The Italian government regulates non-EU foreign labor migration through the multi-year Decreto Flussi (Flow Decree). Established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (D.P.C.M.) in conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Labour, this triennial plan authorized an unprecedented 497,550 legal entries for foreign workers across 2026, 2027, and 2028.
Whether Italian employers are sourcing seasonal agricultural and tourism labor or sponsoring non-seasonal industrial, logistics, and family care professionals, successful recruitment depends on timing. Navigating the Portale Servizi – ALI pre-compilation window, passing labor center (CPI) verification, securing the professional Asseverazione, and hitting the exact minute on designated Click Days determine whether an employer secures an entry quota.
At Mansory Consultants, our corporate mobility and employment visa desk assists employers in Italy and foreign candidates worldwide with pre-submission compliance, contract auditing, Nulla Osta verifications, and consular visa filings. Below is the operational breakdown of quota allocations, mandatory preparation windows, and submission schedules.
Decreto Flussi 2026–2028 Triennial Quota Overview
| Academic / Calendar Year | Total Annual Quota | Non-Seasonal & Autonomous | Seasonal (Agri & Tourism) | Family Care Reservation |
| Year 2026 (Historical) | 164,850 | 75,550 entries | 89,000 entries | 10,000+ entries |
| Year 2027 (Upcoming Cycle) | 165,850 | 76,200 entries | 89,000 entries | 14,000 entries |
| Year 2028 (Final Cycle) | 166,850 | 77,150 entries | 89,000 entries | 14,000 entries |
| Total Triennial Pool | 497,550 Entries | 228,900 Entries | 267,000 Entries | Subsumed in Non-Seasonal |
1. Breakdown by Employment Sector & Nationality Rules
The allocated quotas are distributed among specific labor sectors where Italian companies face verified domestic talent shortages:
A. Seasonal Work (Lavoro Stagionale) — 89,000 Places
- Target Sectors: Exclusively agriculture (crop harvesting, livestock, food processing) and tourism/hospitality (hotels, restaurants, seasonal resorts).
- Origin Restrictions: Reserved predominantly for citizens of countries that have signed bilateral labor and anti-illegal migration cooperation agreements with Rome (including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and newly incorporated partners such as Kenya).
- Validity: Seasonal work permits range from 20 days to 9 months, with options for multi-year seasonal permits for workers returning to the same employer.
B. Non-Seasonal Work (Lavoro Subordinato Non Stagionale) — 76,200 Places
- Eligible Sectors: Road haulage/transport, construction and building trades, mechanics and metalworking, digital telecommunications, food manufacturing, and maritime shipbuilding.
- Country Allocations:
- Dedicated quotas for bilateral agreement nations.
- Reserved quotas for countries whose newly signed bilateral agreements take operational effect.
- Open general nationality quotas accessible to any non-EU citizen matching approved job profiles.
C. Family Assistance & Caregiving (Assistenza Familiare / Colf e Badanti)
- Dedicated Quota: Expanded to 14,000 reserved entries within the non-seasonal quota.
- Scope: Domestic workers, elderly care attendants (badanti), and nursing assistants employed by families to support individuals with verified health or daily living dependencies.
2. Mandatory Pre-Compilation Windows on the ALI Portal
Applications cannot be drafted on the day of filing. The Ministry of the Interior operates a dedicated pre-compilation schedule on the Portale Servizi – ALI (portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it) to allow employers to input and verify data in advance:
[Phase 1: Full Pre-Compilation Window Opens]
(Employers enter candidate passport info, job parameters & upload compliance docs)
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[Phase 2: Correction & Review Only Window]
(Portal locks new drafts; employers can ONLY review, edit, or finalize existing files)
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[Phase 3: Formal Lockout Ahead of Submission]
(Data permanently locked until designated Click Day opening at 09:00 AM Italian Time)
- Standard Pre-Compilation Window: Runs from October 23 (09:00 AM) to December 7 (20:00 PM) Italian Time. During this period, employers access the portal using SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale) or CIE (Electronic ID) to generate draft applications.
- Correction-Only Grace Window: Re-opens briefly from December 9 (09:00 AM) to December 13 (20:00 PM). No new applications can be initiated during this window; it is reserved exclusively for finalizing already-started drafts.
3. Official Click Day Submission Schedule
Applications are evaluated strictly according to chronological order of electronic transmission (ordine cronologico di presentazione). Because demand exceeds regional quotas within minutes, employers must transmit their pre-compiled files at 09:00:00 AM sharp on the applicable day:
| Category & Sector | Official Form Code | Click Day Submission Date & Time |
| Agricultural Seasonal Work | Form C-Stag agricolo | January 12 at 09:00 AM Italian Time |
| Tourism & Hospitality Seasonal Work | Form C-Stag turistico | February 09 at 09:00 AM Italian Time |
| Non-Seasonal Employment (Industrial/IT) | Form B2020 | February 16 at 09:00 AM Italian Time |
| Family Assistance & Domestic Care | Form A-bis (in quota) | February 18 at 09:00 AM Italian Time |
Filing remains technically open until December 31 while regional allocations last, but popular provincial quotas are routinely exhausted within the first hour of Click Day.
4. Employer Prerequisites: CPI Check & Asseverazione
To prevent shell filings and unauthorized visa trading, Italian regulations enforce two mandatory pre-filing legal certifications:
- Employment Centre Verification (Verifica al Centro per l’Impiego – CPI):
- Before requesting a foreign non-seasonal worker, the employer must submit a formal job request to the local public employment office (CPI) to verify whether an Italian citizen, EU national, or registered unemployed resident is available.
- The employer can proceed with the Decreto Flussi application only if the CPI does not send qualified candidates within 8 working days, or if the referred candidate fails the interview or rejects the job offer.
- The Asseverazione (Professional Attestation):
- Employers must obtain an official compliance certificate issued by a certified labor consultant (Consulente del Lavoro), chartered accountant (Commercialista), or an authorized employer trade association.
- The certifier verifies the company’s financial solvency, tax compliance (DURC), and confirms that the offered compensation strictly matches the National Collective Labor Agreement (CCNL).
5. From Approval to Visa: The Post-Click Day Pipeline
Once the application is transmitted on Click Day, it proceeds through official administrative validation:
[Submission on Click Day via ALI Portal at 09:00 AM]
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[Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) & Police (Questura) Security Checks]
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[Issuance of Digital Work Authorization (*Nulla Osta*)]
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[Employer Confirms Intent to Hire within 15 Days on ALI Portal]
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[Consular Transmission: Worker Files Type D Visa at Embassy in Islamabad]
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[Arrival in Italy: Sign Contract of Stay (*Contratto di Soggiorno*) within 15 Days]
- 15-Day Employer Confirmation Rule: When the Sportello Unico approves the clearance, the employer must formally confirm their intention to hire within 15 calendar days on the portal. Failure to confirm results in the immediate cancellation and revocation of the Nulla Osta.
- Consular Visa Stage: The approved Nulla Osta is transmitted digitally to the relevant Italian Embassy or Consulate (e.g., Islamabad or Karachi), allowing the worker up to 180 days to book their consular appointment and receive the Type D visa sticker.
- Contract of Stay: Within 15 days of entering Italy, the worker and employer must finalize the Contratto di Soggiorno digitally and initiate the biometric residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) request.
Structure Your Italian Hiring with Mansory Consultants
The Decreto Flussi is a precise legal and administrative procedure. A missed deadline during the pre-compilation window, an unverified CPI filing, or an incorrectly categorized job code will invalidate a year’s worth of recruitment planning.
At Mansory Consultants, our Italian immigration desk coordinates directly with licensed Italian labor consultants, authorized employers, and international applicants:
- Assisting Italian companies with SPID access, ALI portal profile setups, and pre-compilation drafting.
- Managing mandatory CPI recruitment notices and securing certified Asseverazione compliance reports.
- Structuring millisecond-precise electronic submissions on official Click Days.
- Guiding foreign workers through Pakistani educational attestations, police character certificates, and BLS consular visa appointments once the Nulla Osta is issued.
Contact Mansory Consultants today to review your candidate pool or employer file and ensure you are positioned for the upcoming Decreto Flussi intake
