Is there a labour market test, and can it be skipped?

Before hiring a non-EU worker under the Decreto Flussi, an Italian employer is generally required to notify the local employment centre so a labour market test can confirm that no Italian or EU worker is available for the role. This protects the domestic labour market and is a standard condition of the nulla osta.

There are exceptions. Employers who run approved training programmes for workers abroad can, in certain cases, bypass the labour-market test and receive the nulla osta on a faster track. Because the rules change with each annual decree, it is worth confirming the current exemptions before relying on them.