Staff Reporter :
Italy has suspended the validity of all work permits for foreign workers, including Bangladeshi migrants, until due verification is completed.
The Italian Embassy in Dhaka announced that the Italian government has suspended the validity of all work authorizations (Nulla Osta) issued to migrant workers from several countries, including Bangladesh, pending verification.
Officials stated that the Italian government made this decision after discovering a significant number of false and counterfeit documents among migrant workers.
This step has been taken as per the Law Decree of October 11, 2024. The Embassy will only issue work visas once confirmation is received from the provincial immigration office in Italy (Sportello Unico – SUI) that the suspended Nulla Osta has been successfully verified.
The Italian Embassy also informed visa applicants and appointment seekers that those whose verification is still pending will have their passports returned. This return process will begin progressively starting Sunday, October 20. Applicants will be individually contacted by the Embassy through VFS Global via SMS or email, notifying them that their passport is ready for collection.
Once the Embassy receives confirmation of the Nulla Osta, applicants will be contacted again to resubmit their passports to VFS Global in order to receive their visa. Work visa applicants whose Nulla Osta verification is confirmed will be notified by VFS Global to proceed with their visa application.
Consequently, appointments (including those already scheduled) are no longer necessary and will not be granted during the current phase. However, the email address [email protected] remains active for newly issued work Nulla Osta holders, who are requested to provide their contact details via this email.
Applicants, employers, and lawyers are advised not to send emails to the Embassy or VFS Global regarding the status of their work Nulla Osta verification, as the process is conducted in Italy. Nulla Osta holders are encouraged to contact their prospective employers in Italy for updates on the verification status.
The validity of the work Nulla Osta will not expire while the confirmation from the provincial immigration office is pending. The processing of other types of visas, such as family, study, business, and tourism visas, remains unchanged, according to the Embassy.