The Decreto Flussi (immigration quota decree) is an annual decree issued by the Italian Council of Ministers that establishes the maximum number of non-EU and non-EEA foreign nationals who may enter Italy for the purpose of subordinate employment, self-employment, or seasonal work in a given year. Quotas are allocated by nationality and by employment category, with specific sub-quotas for seasonal workers in agriculture and tourism, highly qualified workers, and individuals from countries that have signed bilateral labour cooperation agreements with Italy.
Employers wishing to sponsor a non-EU worker must submit a sponsorship application (nulla osta al lavoro) through the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (single immigration desk) managed by the prefettura (prefecture) once the decree has been published and the application window opens. Demand for places consistently exceeds supply, and applications are processed in order of submission -- a system that has led to the virtual simultaneous exhaustion of quotas within hours or days of each window opening (the so-called click day).
Once a nulla osta is granted, the foreign national applies for an entry visa at the Italian consulate in their country of residence. On arrival they must finalise a contratto di soggiorno (residence contract) and apply for a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit). The entire process typically takes several months and requires a confirmed employment contract to be in place before the nulla osta application is filed.