DHAKA, Aug 12, 2025 (BSS) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has taken measures to dispose of the prolonged delay in processing pending visa applications for Italy.

The MoFA issued a press release on Sunday in this regard saying that under the Flussi Decree programme, the Italian government recruits workers from non-European Union countries for both seasonal and non-seasonal sectors. 

After an eight-year suspension, the release said, Bangladesh was reinstated in this programme in 2022, creating new opportunities for Bangladeshi citizens to work in seasonal jobs in Italy. As a result, the number of applicants at the Italian Embassy in Dhaka has increased significantly in recent times.

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.

According to the Italian Embassy, in 2024, the Italian government issued Law Decree No. 145, suspending all work permits issued before October 22 in 2024. 

Under this new law, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka can only approve or reject visa applications after receiving clearance from the provincial authorities. Thus, the embassy must contact provincial offices for each pending approval, making the process time-consuming. 

However, over 8,000 out of the nearly 40,000 pending applications have already been disposed of, the release said, adding, additionally, verification for about 20,000 potential applicants’ work permits and related visa applications is expected to begin soon.

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. 

Furthermore, this malpractice delays the processing of genuine applications, leading to further visa issuance delays, it said.

The release said that on May 6 this year, Bangladesh and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding on migration, creating opportunities for the legal migration of skilled workers and facilitating control over irregular migration. This agreement is expected to open the door for the regular recruitment of a significant number of workers from Bangladesh to Italy.

The MoFA urged those interested in working in Italy, or who have already received a Nulla Osta, to be patient to get the visa for Italy as the process is conducted under a distinct administrative system, which requires everyone’s trust.

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.