Overview
- The quota will enable 3,500 Pakistanis to work in Italy each year, split between 1,500 seasonal and 2,000 non-seasonal roles.
- Positions are allocated across shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, including welders, technicians, chefs, waiters, housekeeping staff, nurses, medical technicians and farm workers.
- Officials describe Italy as the first European country to extend a dedicated, quota-based employment scheme to Pakistan.
- Authorities frame the pathway as a regulated alternative to risky irregular migration to Europe, reported to have jumped sharply in 2022.
- Implementation details such as recruitment, visas and deployment timelines remain pending and will be taken up by the Pakistan–Italy Joint Working Group in Islamabad in February 2026.