Italy will issue nearly 500,000 work visas to non-EU citizens in the next three years

Italy will issue nearly 500,000 new work visas to non-EU citizens between 2026 and 2028.

Reuters reported that the Italian cabinet announced the measure on Monday (June 30), saying that it was part of the government's strategy to expand legal immigration channels to address the labor shortage.

In 2026, 164,850 non-EU citizens will be allowed to reside, with the goal of adding a cumulative total of 497,550 residence quotas by 2028.

This is the second time that Meloni has taken such a measure since he became the prime minister of Italy as the chairperson of the right-wing alliance nearly three years ago. The Italian government has previously decided to issue over 450,000 residence permits to immigrants from 2023 to 2025.

While issuing work visas to non-EU citizens, Meloni took a tough stance on illegal immigrants, accelerating the repatriation process and restricting the activities of charities in rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

Italy is the third-largest economy in the Eurozone. The aging population and declining birth rate have highlighted the necessity for Italy to attract foreign workers.

The trend of population decline in Italy has persisted for 10 years. In 2024, the number of deaths in Italy will be approximately 281,000 more than the number of births, with a total population of 58.93 million, a decrease of 37,000.