The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has addressed the prolonged delay in processing pending applications for Italian visas.
Under the Flussi Decree program, the Italian government employs workers from non-EU countries for both seasonal and non-seasonal industries, according to a news release issued by the MoFA on Sunday.
“Bangladesh was reinstated in this program in 2022 after an eight-year suspension, opening up new opportunities for Bangladeshi citizens to work in seasonal jobs in Italy,” the announcement noted. As a result, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka has seen a sharp rise in the number of applications in recent years.
According to the release, both sides, however, are prioritizing the prompt resolution of pending Nulla Osta (work permits) at the Italian Embassy.
The issue was strongly raised during all meetings with the Italian Ambassador, visiting Italian officials, and during the visit of Italy’s Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi in May this year.
The Italian minister expressed his government’s commitment to resolving this prolonged visa application process.
The Italian Embassy claims that Law Decree No. 145, issued by the Italian government in 2024, suspended all work licenses granted prior to October 22, 2024.
The Italian Embassy in Dhaka is only permitted to accept or deny visa applications in accordance with this new rule once the provincial authorities have given their approval. As a result, each pending approval requires the embassy to get in touch with provincial offices, which adds time to the process.
But according to the announcement, more than 8,000 of the almost 40,000 pending applications have already been processed. It also stated that verification of the work permits and accompanying visa applications for over 20,000 prospective candidates is anticipated to start shortly.
Since work permits issued after October 22 in 2024 are not subject to the suspension, hundreds of Bangladeshi migrants, who applied under the 2025 Flussi Decree after that date, have already received their visas, with many more expected to get the visa in the coming months.
The release said, the MoFA and the Bangladesh Embassy in Rome are maintaining regular communication with the Italian Embassy in Dhaka and the Italian ministry of foreign affairs. As a result, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka has increased its staff to speed up the visa process.
However, the release said, the submission of forged work permits and fake documents by one or more fraudulent groups has caused further delays in verification while multiple criminal investigations related to this matter are currently underway in Italy.
Noting that only official consular and administrative fees are required to migrate to Italy, the MoFA said those paying large sums of money to dishonest individuals—beyond the stated fees—should be aware that such payments may be used to influence the visa process through corruption, which could result in visa cancellation and legal complications.
Additionally, it said that this behavior causes delays in processing legitimate applications, which in turn causes delays in the issue of visas.
According to the statement, Italy and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on migration on May 6 of this year, opening doors for skilled people to migrate legally and easing restrictions on irregular migration. It is anticipated that this agreement will make it possible for a sizable number of workers from Bangladesh to be regularly hired in Italy.
Because the process is carried out under a unique administrative framework that demands everyone’s trust, the MoFA advised anyone interested in working in Italy or who has previously received a Nulla Osta to exercise patience in order to obtain the Italian visa.
Mentioning that any negative propaganda or activity could create an unfavorable perception within the Italian government, potentially harming the prospects of current visa applicants and future worker recruitment from Bangladesh, the ministry called for everyone’s full cooperation in this regard.
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