Italy’s Employers Oversubscribe Visa Lottery To Non-EU Workers, See Details

The demand for Italian work permits has increased rapidly in recent years. Italian employers have also outstripped a quota for non-EU workers set by Georgia Meloni’s right-wing government, highlighting a labor shortage in the country. 

Around 608,000 pre-applications have already been filed for Italy’s annual work visa lottery program, which is set to open on Saturday morning. However, the quota for non-EU workers for next year is just 136,000. Italy’s employers have oversubscribed visa lottery to non-EU workers.

Angelica Donati, the president of the youth wing of Italy’s national builders association, said, “We need more people allowed into work. More needs to be done to make sure that companies are able to tap into foreign workers.”

What can migrants expect?

According to a report by Financial Times, Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, pledged to raise the number of annual work visas for non-EU workers to 165,000 in 2026.

Italian business organizations and employers have lauded an increase in the quota for non-EU workers. They said that the step was important for tackling labor shortages. 

Various Italian workers are now hitting retirement age. Italian employers need more migrant workers for various sectors. There is a shortage of workers for every sector in Italy. 

Luigi Pio Scordamaglia, director of European policies at Coldiretti, said, “In every sector, we need people.”

Visa lottery to non-EU workers

The Ministry of the Interior of Italy manages the annual “Click Day” Visa lottery program. Under the Visa lottery, the Italian government set the work permit quota for non-EU workers. 

According to Italy’s interior ministry, the pre-applications for 2024 Italy’s annual work visa lottery consists of 260,953 applications for seasonal jobs mainly in agriculture and tourism, 253,473 applications for non-seasonal jobs in construction and other sectors, and 86,074 applications for domestic workers and carers in health care sectors.

The employment quota will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Some sectors have their own reserved quota.

Earlier this month, Italy pledged to build two migrant centers in Albania. The migrant centers will house unaccompanied migrants rescued at sea by Italian boats. Children, pregnant women and vulnerable individuals will be moved to Italy.