More high temperatures come after Italy was battered by heavy rain and intense thunderstorms. Italy is bracing for another stint of hot weather this week after being battered by heavy rain over the last few days.

Did you know that Italy only accepts a limited number of work visa applications and only during specific months per year? So if you're a non-EU citizen and you want to move to Italy to work, you need to prepare early. You'll first need to find a company that'll hire you. The company will then apply for your work permit. Only then can you apply for the work visa when Italy starts accepting visa applications. To help you through this process, we'll explain everything you need to know, from finding a job and getting your work permit to getting your residence permit and arranging important paperwork. Are foreigners allowed to work in Italy? Yes, foreigners are allowed to work in Italy, as long as they meet certain requirements. Europeans, including EEA and Swiss citizens, need to get a declaration of presence from the police station and apply for a residence permit for stays longer than 3 months. Non-Europeans need to secure a job, get a work permit and then apply for a work visa and residence permit to legally stay and work in Italy Types of work visas in Italy There are different types of long-term work visas, also known as national Visas (Visa D), for those who want to work in Italy for more than 90 days. The following are the main work visas in Italy: Salaried employment visa: it's sponsored by your employer and lasts for up to 2 years. It’s renewable for up to 5 years. Self-employment visa: for those who want to start a business or move their business to Italy. The visa is valid for up to 2 years. Long-term seasonal work: for workers in the agricultural and tourism sectors. It's valid for up to 9 months. Working holiday visa: for those who wish to work on holiday. It's valid for a maximum of 12-months. How can I get a work visa for Italy? There’re are 5 main steps to getting a work visa for Italy: Find a job in Italy where the Italian employer is willing to hire you and sponsor your work permit. Your Italian employer will apply for your work permit (nulla osta al lavoro) at their nearest immigration office (Sportello Unico per I’Immmigrazione). After your employer has been granted your work permit, your employer will send you a digital copy and notify the embassy or consulate in your home country. Once you’ve the Nulla Osta and other necessary documents, you’ve 6 months to apply for a work visa at the nearest Italian consulate or embassy. Once your visa is granted, you’ve 6 months to pick it up and enter Italy. For your employer to apply for a work permit and for you to apply for a work visa, you need to gather some documents. You can find the list below. Italy work permit requirements Since your Italian employer will apply for your work permit, you need to send them some supporting documents. The requested documents may vary per local immigration office. So it’s best to ask your employer what you need to submit. In general, you’ll need the following documents for an Italian work permit (Nulla Osta al lavoro): A copy of your valid passport or ID. Proposed work contract, including. Terms of employment, duration of the contract, salary and social security contributions. Employer’s details, such as Chamber of Commerce registration number, company’s legal name, and address. A signed ‘stay contract’ (Contratto di soggiorno) which confirms: The employer will notify of any changes in the employment contract. A suitable accommodation in Italy that meets local housing standards. The employer will pay repatriation costs in case of expulsion from Italy. Italy work visa requirements You’ll need the following documents to apply for an Italian work visa: Application form for the Italian Long-Stay Visa. Proof of visa fee payment. A copy of your signed employment contract. The original and the copy of your Nulla Osta. Valid passport and copies. 2 recent passport photos. Proof of accommodation in Italy. Proof of sufficient finance. Copy of flight itinerary. Proof of health and travel insurance, which covers Italy. Other supporting documents, such as diplomas. Italy work visa processing time: A work visa for Italy is typically processed within 2 to 30 days. Once your visa is approved, you’ll be notified by your local embassy and you’ll have 6 months to collect it.

Italian prosecutors in Palermo have accused the then-interior minister of alleged kidnapping due to his decision to leave a migrant rescue ship operated by charity Open Arms stranded at sea for 19 days in 2019. Prosecutors in the Italian city of Palermo on Saturday asked for a six-year prison sentence for far-right Lega leader Matteo Salvini over his decision to prevent a ship carrying more than 100 migrants from landing in Lampedusa in 2019. A conviction, which in Italy is definitive only at the end of a three-stage judicial process, could see Salvini barred from holding government office. The Sicilian prosecutors have accused Salvini — who is currently deputy premier and transport minister in the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — of alleged kidnapping due to his decision to leave a migrant rescue ship operated by charity Open Arms stranded at sea for 19 days. At the time, Salvini served as interior minister in Giuseppe Conte's government. During his term in office, he imposed a "closed ports" policy under which Italy refused entry to charity ships that rescued migrants in distress across the Mediterranean and repeatedly accused humanitarian organisations of effectively encouraging people smuggling.

The centre-left Labour Party prime minister isn't a natural ally of Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, yet the two sides are hoping to work together to reduce irregular migration to Europe and improve the UK's relations with the rest of the continent. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is meeting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday, as the two very different politicians, from left and right, seek a common cause to curb migrants reaching their shores by boat. The visit comes after at least eight seaborne migrants died off the French coast on the weekend. Support for Ukraine is also on the agenda for the trip, part of Starmer's effort to reset relations with European neighbours after the UK's acrimonious 2020 departure from the European Union. The centre-left Labour Party prime minister isn't a natural ally of Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party. But migration has climbed the UK political agenda, and Starmer hopes Italy's tough approach can help him stop people fleeing war and poverty trying to cross the English Channel in flimsy, overcrowded boats.