Decreto flussi 2027: new quotas and click days

For employers relying on non-EU workers and labour, 2027 now has a precise timetable. With Joint Circular No. 7185 of 1 October 2026, signed by the Ministries of the Interior, Labour, Agriculture and Tourism, the Government has translated into practical instructions the second annual phase of the 2026–2028 three-year plan provided for by Prime Ministerial Decree (D.P.C.M.) of 2 October 2025.

The document does not rewrite the rules of the game: it confirms the framework already in place and focuses on three operational aspects, namely how many entries are available, when applications may be prepared, and on which days they must be submitted. It also recalls certain amendments to the Consolidated Immigration Act which employers would be well advised not to overlook.

How many places are available: 165,850 entries

The overall ceiling for 2027 is 165,850 non-EU nationals admitted for employment. More than half of the quotas continue to be allocated to seasonal work, confirming the importance that agriculture and tourism continue to have in the demand for foreign labour.

Specifically, 89,000 entries are allocated to seasonal subordinate employment in the agricultural and tourism sectors, while 76,200 concern non-seasonal subordinate employment; within the latter quota, 14,000 places are reserved for family assistance. The framework is completed by 650 entries for self-employment.

The geographical change concerns Kenya, which is included for the first time among the countries of origin whose nationals are eligible. This opening follows from the Memorandum of Understanding on Migration and Mobility signed with Nairobi on 2 July 2026. In all other respects, the reservations and sub-allocations remain those established by the 2025 D.P.C.M.

Before the click day: pre-compilation

Much of the process takes place before the click days. From 9:00 a.m. on 23 October until 8:00 p.m. on 7 December 2026, the ALI Services Portal will be accessible continuously, including public holidays, for the preparation of applications for authorisation (nulla osta). Anyone who does not pre-compile an application during this period will effectively be excluded from submitting it during the click days.

The forms already familiar to operators remain unchanged: C-Stag agricultural and C-Stag tourism for seasonal employment in the respective sectors, B2020 for non-seasonal subordinate employment in the eligible sectors, and A-bis within the quota for family assistance.

The National Labour Inspectorate may begin its checks already on pre-compiled applications, without waiting for final submission.

Once the main window has closed, the portal will reopen from 9:00 a.m. on 9 December until 8:00 p.m. on 13 December 2026. This additional window is intended only for those who completed the process at the last minute: it allows users to view data that the system acquires asynchronously (up to six days after compilation begins) and to save the application, moving it from “to be completed” to “ready for submission”. No new application may be entered during those days.

The four dates to mark in your calendar

Submissions will always open at 9:00 a.m., according to a staggered timetable by category. The process begins on 12 January 2027 with seasonal agricultural employment, to be submitted using the C-Stag agricultural form. On 9 February, it will be the turn of the tourism sector (C-Stag tourism), on 16 February non-seasonal subordinate employment (B2020), and on 18 February, bringing the sequence to a close, family assistance (A-bis).

The final deadline for submitting applications is 31 December 2027, but the formal deadline is of little practical significance: submission remains subject to the availability of quotas, and in recent editions the number of applications has often far exceeded the places available.

What changes for employers

Perhaps the most useful part of the circular is its reminder of the amendments introduced into Legislative Decree No. 286/1998 by Decree-Law No. 146/2025 (converted into Law No. 179/2025) and by Legislative Decree No. 83/2026. Three changes directly affect employers’ obligations.

Confirmation of the nulla osta within 15 days: once the visa checks have been completed, the employer now has fifteen days from the relevant notification to confirm the application with the One-Stop-Shop for Immigration (Article 22, paragraph 5-quinquies). Silence is not neutral: the application is deemed rejected and any nulla osta already issued is revoked. The same provision requires the employer to keep the worker informed of every communication received during the procedure.

Residence contract: from 8 to 15 days. The period for signing the residence contract after the worker arrives in Italy has been extended to fifteen days (Article 22, paragraph 6). Within the same period, the employer must transmit it electronically to the One-Stop-Shop for Immigration, thereby initiating the application for a residence permit.

Delegation to intermediaries: confirmation of the nulla osta and submission of the contract may be carried out through labour consultants and other persons authorised under Law No. 12/1979, or through the most representative employers’ associations to which the company belongs or has granted a mandate (Article 24-bis, paragraph 2-bis). Responsibility for fulfilling the obligations, however, remains with the employer.

As regards accommodation, the circular refers to the Ministry of the Interior’s instructions of 15 December 2025 (Protocol No. 9859), which implement Law No. 182/2025 concerning suitability of accommodation for workers housed in accommodation facilities or permanent construction-site dormitories. The access requirements, sectors and ATECO codes remain unchanged.

How to prepare

The six-week pre-compilation period is the real dividing line, and it is advisable to make use of it early rather than waiting until 7 December. The first step is to check the access credentials for the ALI Portal and the company’s eligibility requirements in good time. It is then prudent to begin completing the application at least one week in advance, so as to give the system enough time to acquire asynchronous data, and to check that each application is marked “ready for submission” before the portal closes on 13 December.

It is equally important to organise in advance the management of the subsequent deadlines, now set at fifteen days, and to consider whether to entrust this task to an authorised intermediary.

In short, the 2027 Decreto flussi holds no surprises in terms of numbers, but it rewards those who arrive prepared. The dates are set and the rules are known: organisation will make the difference.

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The content of this article is intended to provide general information on the topic. For doubts or specific cases, it is advisable to seek specialized legal advice tailored to your particular situation.

Article written by Alessia Ajelli, Managing Associate of LCA Studio Legale, Italian lawyer specialized on Italian immigration and citizenship law.