Italy plans to issue 500,000 new work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028 as part of a broader strategy to tackle labor shortages and expand legal immigration channels, the government announced on Monday.
According to a cabinet statement, 164,850 work permits will be granted in 2026, bringing the total number of legal entries to 497,550 over the three-year period.
This marks the second major initiative by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government to open legal pathways for migrant labor. A previous plan, introduced in 2023, aimed to issue over 450,000 permits between 2023 and 2025.
While easing legal entry for foreign workers, Meloni’s administration has maintained a hardline stance on illegal migration — accelerating deportations and imposing restrictions on humanitarian rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
Labour Needs and Demographic Pressure
The new quotas were calculated based on employer demand, input from industry groups, and past trends in work permit applications, the cabinet said, emphasizing a “realistic and business-responsive” approach.
Italy faces mounting demographic challenges, with a rapidly ageing population and one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. In 2024 alone, deaths outnumbered births by 281,000, and the overall population declined by 37,000, falling to 58.93 million — continuing a downward trend observed for more than a decade.
Agricultural group Coldiretti welcomed the decision, calling it a crucial step to ensure a stable workforce for farms and food production — sectors hit particularly hard by labour shortages.
Legal Migration as Economic Strategy
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told La Stampa on Sunday that the government remains committed to expanding legal migration channels to support vital sectors of the economy, while cracking down on irregular migration routes.
A recent study by Italy’s Osservatorio Conti Pubblici think tank estimated that to sustain its current population levels, Italy would need to admit at least 10 million immigrants by 2050.
The new visa plan reflects a growing recognition in Rome that managed immigration is essential to sustaining economic growth and offsetting the country’s demographic decline.
