Italy’s Interministerial Decree of 22 June 2026 makes the digital profile for foreign workers trained abroad operational, with a pre-filled CV visible to Italian employers. This guide explains who qualifies, how the procedure works and which further steps are required to enter and work in Italy.

Italy’s SIISL platform now provides a new digital channel connecting foreign workers trained abroad with Italian companies. The Interministerial Decree of 22 June 2026, published on the Ministry of Labour website on 6 August and announced in the Official Gazette on 19 August, sets out the registration arrangements for people who have successfully completed approved vocational and civic-linguistic training programmes in their countries of origin.

In practice, the measure turns pre-departure training into a pre-filled digital CV that employers in relevant sectors can consult. It does not mean, however, that any foreign national may freely register, or that appearing on SIISL automatically guarantees a job, a visa or admission to Italy.

THE KEY POINT
Registration is limited to foreign nationals who have successfully completed programmes approved under Article 23 of Legislative Decree No. 286/1998, Italy’s Consolidated Immigration Act. Data are transferred automatically from PIF to SIISL, but the worker must verify their contact details to activate the profile.

What changes under the SIISL Decree of 22 June 2026

The decree implements Article 14(6) of Decree-Law No. 159/2025, converted into Law No. 198/2025. Its purpose is to broaden access to the Information System for Social and Employment Inclusion — known by its Italian acronym SIISL — and improve the matching of labour demand and supply.

SIISL is established at the Ministry of Labour and operated by INPS, Italy’s social security institute. For this group of users, it exchanges data with the Platform for Trained Entrants from Abroad, or PIF, where approved programmes, participants and completed training are recorded.

This connection prevents workers from having to rebuild their professional profile from scratch. The digital record may include personal data, the course attended, training modules, duration and attendance, the final level of Italian-language knowledge and the certifying body.

Foreign workers trained abroad: who can register

The scheme covers non-EU nationals residing abroad, stateless persons and refugees who successfully complete vocational and civic-linguistic education and training programmes prepared and approved under Article 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act.

The programmes must comply with the Ministry’s Guidelines of 7 July 2023 and must be submitted through PIF by an eligible proposing organisation. That organisation, acting alone or in partnership, is responsible for the initial registration of participants who complete the programme.

A worker who independently attends a private course abroad therefore does not qualify merely because they hold a certificate. The course must form part of an approved programme and must have been completed successfully.

Article 23 programmes for foreign workers trained abroad

An Article 23 programme is more than a language course or isolated vocational training. It is a structured project carried out in a non-EU country, combining preparation for a profession with Italian-language tuition, civic education, employment rights, workplace safety and guidance on integration in Italy.

The aim is to prepare participants before departure in response to genuine needs in the Italian labour market. Each project must identify the occupations and employment sectors concerned, explain how participants are selected and describe how contact with Italian employers will be facilitated after training.

Programmes may be organised in any third country, including countries seeking accession to the European Union. They may involve foreign nationals residing there, stateless persons and refugees recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or by the competent authorities in countries of first asylum or transit.

Who may participate

  • Non-EU nationals residing abroad and selected according to the criteria of the approved project.
  • Stateless persons present in third countries and included in the relevant pathway.
  • Recognised refugees in countries of first asylum or transit.

PARTICIPATION MUST BE FREE
The Guidelines prohibit proposing organisations from directly or indirectly charging participants. Programme costs must be covered by declared public funds, private resources or co-financing.

Who may submit a programme

Individual workers do not submit projects themselves. Programmes may be proposed, including through partnerships, by eligible bodies such as:

  • regional and local authorities;
  • national employers’ and workers’ organisations and their branches;
  • international and intergovernmental organisations, and registered organisations supporting migrants;
  • universities, research institutes, ITS Academy institutions, adult education centres and accredited vocational-training providers;
  • public or accredited private employment services, third-sector bodies and eligible civil-society or development-cooperation organisations.

Other Italian or foreign public and private entities may join or support a project, for example by assisting with selection, assessing labour needs or promoting employment. The proposing organisation remains responsible for the project and its legal obligations.

How the programme must be organised

  • Assessment of labour needs: the project must identify occupations genuinely required in Italy.
  • Transparent selection: the method used to select participants abroad must be clearly described.
  • A complete teaching plan: duration, start date, classroom lessons, possible distance learning, laboratories, equipment, teachers and premises must be specified.
  • Local partnerships and placement in Italy: the programme must explain how it coordinates with local institutions and Italian businesses.
  • Funding and monitoring: all funding sources and arrangements for evaluating results must be disclosed.

Language, civic education and vocational skills

Language training must enable participants to reach at least level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Ministry guidance refers to at least 100 hours of Italian and ten hours of civic education covering constitutional principles, public institutions and Italy’s social and employment system.

There is no single duration for vocational training. It must be appropriate to the intended occupation and the skills listed in INAPP’s national occupations and skills framework. Courses must include employment rights and duties, health and safety, sector-specific terminology, careers guidance and practical job-search tools.

Distance learning is possible, but at least 75 per cent of Italian-language tuition should take place in person, subject to limited exceptions assessed by the competent commission. Safety training delivered abroad does not replace the mandatory training the employer must provide after recruitment.

At the end of the programme, participants undergo language assessment and a final vocational examination. They must receive evidence of their Italian level and a certificate describing attendance, knowledge and acquired skills.

Submission and approval

The proposing organisation submits the project through PIF. An interministerial commission coordinated by the Ministry of Labour examines compliance with Article 23, the Guidelines, organisational quality and consistency with labour-market needs. The stated processing period is 30 days.

Only after approval, delivery and successful completion does a participant acquire the status of a worker trained abroad for the purposes of admission outside the ordinary quota system and subsequent SIISL registration.

How foreign workers trained abroad are registered on SIISL

  1. Data transfer: PIF sends SIISL the details of participants associated with programmes completed successfully.
  2. Action by the proposing organisation: the organisation logs into SIISL with its Italian digital identity, reviews the workers connected with its programme and adds available contact information.
  3. Notification: SIISL sends the worker an electronic message containing a link to verify the email address and complete registration.
  4. Profile activation: once the contact is verified, the system activates the profile and generates a CV pre-filled with PIF data.
  5. Reminder after 15 days: if activation has not occurred, the proposing organisation must verify the contact details and remind the worker to complete the procedure.
  6. Later independent access: after completing the Article 23 procedure and receiving an Italian tax code, the worker may access SIISL using SPID or CIE, including with assistance from a recognised patronato or tax-assistance centre.

CVs visible to employers in relevant sectors

An active and complete profile is displayed as a curriculum vitae. Visibility is not unlimited: the decree restricts access to employers operating in sectors consistent with the training received. The technical annex describes a compatibility-based “visibility perimeter” between the participant’s training sector and the company’s business sector.

A person trained for mechanics, logistics, construction or care work, for example, may be found by businesses seeking skills in that field. The system is intended to reduce the gap between available skills and production needs by allowing employers to review a profile before the candidate reaches Italy.

Publication of a CV does not replace the company’s selection process. Employers must assess ability, experience, language knowledge, contractual conditions and suitability for the vacancy, while respecting employment law and equal-treatment rules.

Foreign workers trained abroad and admission outside quotas

Article 23 allows workers who complete an approved programme to enter Italy for employed work outside the numerical quotas set by the annual or multi-year “Decreto Flussi”. A procedure may therefore be started during the year without waiting for a click day and without using an ordinary quota.

Outside the quotas does not mean automatic admission. An Italian employer must submit a named application for work authorisation through the Ministry of the Interior’s ALI portal. Statutory checks, the visa procedure and post-arrival obligations continue to apply.

SIISL IS NOT A VISA
The digital profile helps workers and employers find one another, but does not itself create a right to enter or remain in Italy. Employment and immigration procedures must still be completed under Articles 22 and 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act.

From contact with an employer to entry into Italy

  • Work authorisation: the employer submits a named application through the ALI portal. Ministry guidance refers to a 30-day period and a silent-consent mechanism, subject to statutory exceptions and checks.
  • Visa application: the application may be submitted within 12 months after the course ends; Ministry guidance refers to a 90-day decision period.
  • Arrival and residence contract: the employer and worker must sign the residence contract within 15 days after entry.
  • Starting work: work may begin while the residence-permit application is pending when the statutory conditions are met.

The 12-month deadline is particularly important. The technical annex provides for automatic archiving of a SIISL profile if the work-authorisation procedure has not been requested within 12 months after training ends. An archived profile is no longer visible to employers or assistance organisations.

What workers, proposing organisations and employers must do

  • The worker should check the notification, verify the email address promptly, activate the profile and keep contact data current.
  • The proposing organisation must enter correct details, monitor activation, send a reminder after 15 days and provide information about registration and personal-data processing.
  • The employer should search within the relevant sector, assess the profile and, if it wishes to recruit, begin the named work-authorisation procedure and comply with all employment and immigration rules.

Privacy, duration and profile archiving

The decree expressly refers to the EU General Data Protection Regulation and Italy’s Data Protection Code. The proposing organisation must inform workers about SIISL registration and the purposes of processing. Personal, training and administrative information should be accessible only to authorised parties and for compatible purposes.

In addition to the 12-month rule, the technical annex links archiving to developments in the work-authorisation and residence-permit procedures, including where a permit has expired for more than 180 days. After archiving, the CV can no longer be consulted by employers or assistance organisations.

A genuine opportunity, but not a shortcut

The new SIISL function can make international recruitment more transparent and organised. Employers receive profiles connected to verified training, while participants can present professional and language skills acquired before departure. It may be particularly useful in sectors where Italian businesses struggle to recruit locally.

Its success will depend on programme quality, accurate data, lawful employment offers and effective support throughout the procedure. Digitalisation simplifies some stages, but it does not remove the need for checks, accessible information and protection against illegal recruitment, exploitation and false job offers.

Related LexFocus guide: read about INAIL support for families after fatal workplace accidents in Italy.

Frequently asked questions

Can any foreign worker register through this SIISL procedure?

No. The person must have successfully completed a vocational and civic-linguistic programme approved under Article 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act.

Is registration completely automatic?

The initial transfer of data from PIF to SIISL is automatic. The worker must still verify the contact received and activate the profile before the CV becomes operational.

Does a SIISL CV guarantee a job or visa?

No. SIISL facilitates contact with an employer. Entry requires an interested employer, named work authorisation, a visa and the other statutory steps.

Can every company view the profile?

No. Visibility is restricted to employers in sectors compatible with the training completed.

Official sources