Italy: Faster Immigration Procedure for Limited Categories of Work

Aug 5, 2022 | Global

The procedure for obtaining work permit (Nulla Osta) clearance for non-European Union (EU) citizens in relation to the application for subordinate work under the 2021 and 2022 Decreto Flussi (to be announced soon) has been officially simplified.

This measure has been introduced by the government as Italy is facing a shortage of manpower in many production sectors (e.g., manufacturing, agriculture, catering).

However, the simplification measure does not apply to all types of work permits. Specifically, this procedure will apply to work permit applications for subordinate work submitted under the Decreto Flussi of 2021 and 2022. It does not apply to intra-company permits, Blue Card permits, and other permits for special categories of workers set forth under article 27 of the Immigration Law (e.g., journalists, nurses, translators, researchers).

Details of the simplification procedure:

  • Timing:
    1) The work permit will be issued within 30 days, instead of 60 days.
    2) The visa will be issued within 20 days from the day of its request.
  • Requirements to start working in Italy:
    The work permit issued under the conditions specified above will be considered as authorization to carry out the work activity on the national territory even without prior signing of the contract of stay and request for a residence permit for work reasons.

This does not mean that the signing of the contract of stay and the request for a residence permit are not required. The simplification procedure allows the foreigner to start working before carrying out these formalities, but they must be completed in the manner requested by the Italian authorities. Furthermore, if the Italian authorities later find out that the foreigner does not comply with all the requirements, the work permit and visa can be revoked.

Decree With Additional Immigration Quotas To Be Approved Soon

The Italian minister of internal affairs has announced that a new Decreto Flussi will be published soon, with a planned number of 75,000 quotas for work. There is a lack of staff in specific sectors of activities, the minister said.

The decree is expected not only to increase the quotas in the unskilled work sector (highly skilled workers are exempt from obtaining quotas so will not be affected by the decree) but also to make available new quotas for conversion from study to work and self-employment, including startup visas.

Visa for Seafarers (Yacht Crew)

Italian Immigration rules for work permits and/or visas are not simple, and the situation for some sectors can be troublesome because legislation does not always provide specific types of work permits. The approval of a new rule is expected to help the immigration process for seafarers. Italy has introduced a new visa for seafarers (yacht crew), which does not require them to apply for a work permit.

Key points include:

  • Seafarers will be able to apply for this visa directly at the Italian consulate.
  • The visa is for seafarers/crew members who need to board EU or non-EU flagged vessels based in Italian harbors.

Details:

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MALAYSIA: Companies Must Submit 2020 Employment Pass and Professional Visit Pass Projections

Companies in Malaysia registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. should submit their EP projections as soon as the submission period opens, which is expected to happen soon.

Due to holiday closures and the expected high volume of projection applications, companies in Malaysia registered with the Expatriate Services Division should submit their 2020 projections for Professional Visit Passes (PVP) and Employment Passes (EP) as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Companies in Malaysia registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. should submit their EP projections as soon as the submission period opens, which is expected to happen soon.

Although there is no deadline for submission, affected employers who do not have approved projections for 2020 cannot submit initial or renewal work pass applications until they obtain the required approval.

Foreign nationals already in Malaysia may need to exit if their new work passes cannot be obtained prior to the expiry of the current one.