The 2026-2028 Flow Decree: Quotas, Click Days and Pre-compilation

The 2026-2028 Flow Decree, signed on 15 October 2025, authorises a total of 497,550 entries of third-country nationals, divided into annual quotas. For 2026 the quota is 164,850 entries, with four electronic filing windows on the ALI portal.

The three-year quotas

The DPCM of 15 October 2025, published the following day, provides for 497,550 entries in total, with annual quotas of 164,850 for 2026, 165,850 for 2027 and 166,850 for 2028, covering seasonal and non-seasonal subordinate work and self-employment.

DL 146/2025 also renewed for 2026 the quota of 10,000 entries reserved for foreign workers in the family assistance sector.

The 2026 click days

Applications are filed electronically on the Ministry of Labour's ALI portal, after the pre-compilation stage. The four windows in 2026 are:

• 12 January, 9.00 - seasonal workers in the agricultural sector;
• 9 February, 9.00 - seasonal workers in the tourism sector;
• 16 February, 9.00 - non-seasonal subordinate workers from countries with migration agreements, or that will sign them during the decree's validity;
• 18 February, 9.00 - other non-seasonal subordinate workers.

The dates were circulated by the Prefectures and by the legal patronages. The click day of 18 February 2026 was the last window of the year for domestic work.

Pre-compilation: the mistake that costs the application

The point on which rejections most often concentrate is pre-compilation on the ALI portal: the data must be acquired before filing, and the application must be checked in detail before submission. The Ministry's IT tools assist and make verification easier, but do not replace the applicant's responsibility for the data.

Remedies are provided in case of rejection, linked to the work clearance (nulla osta) procedure. This is the stage where legal advice delivers the most value: the majority of disputes arise from formal errors in filing, not from substantive questions.

Simplifications for workers trained abroad

The decree provides simplifications for the entry of workers trained abroad under programmes pursuant to Art. 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, which constitute a preferential channel for those who already hold a recognised qualification.