Immigration
Our company provides immigration services that permit our clients to obtain a WORK PERMIT and STAY PERMIT in Italy.
The principal ways of obtaining a business STAY PERMIT in Italy are:
1. European Blue Card STAY PERMIT – HIGHLY QUALIFIED worker Stay permit.
A person can set up a new company in Italy and apply for a job in this company if he/she meets the following requirements:
- At least three-year University degree (that must be legalized in the country of origin in Italian Consulate);
- Work contract or binding job offer from Italy for at least 1 year;
- Annual Goss Salary at least 3 times the amount to be eligible for health benefit (approximately 30.000,00 €).
2. Infra-company transfer residence permit.
You can obtain this type of residence permit by setting up a new company in Italy that is owned by your local company (in your country of origin) or an Italian branch or representative office of your local company. You will be “transfered” from your local company to the new Italian company and in this way get a residence permit.
3. FAST TRACK Italian START UP VISA
Italian Start-up VISA (ISV) is a Self-Employment VISA with fast-track procedure, which has been operational since June 2014, started with the measure 44 of “Destinazione Italia” Plan – a national strategy to attract foreign talents and investments in Italy.
Definition of Innovative Startup: any companies with shared capital (i.e. limited companies, “società di capitali”), including cooperatives, whose capital shares – or equivalent – are neither listed on a regulated market nor on a multilateral negotiation system.
To get a START UP VISA your company must have the following requirements:
- Be newly incorporated or have been operational for less than 5 years (in any case, not before 18 December 2012);
- Have their headquarters in Italy or in another EU country, but with at least a production site branch in Italy;
- Have a yearly turnover lower than €5 million;
- Do not distribute profits;
- Have as exclusive or prevalent company object – as stated in the deeds of incorporation – the production, development and commercialisation of innovative goods or services of high technological value;
- Are not the result of a merger, split-up or selling-off of a company or branch;
- The innovative character of the enterprises is identified by at least one of the following criteria:
- At least 15% of the company’s expenses can be attributed to R&D activities;
- At least 1/3 of the total workforce are PhD students, the holders of a PhD or researchers; or, alternatively, 2/3 of the total workforce must hold a Master’s degree;
- The enterprise is the holder, depositary or licensee of a registered patent (industrial property), or the owner and author of a registered software.
You also shall demonstrate that you can invest at least 50.000 euro in the company’s Start up.
4. You also can apply for a work and stay permit in Italy when your Italian company (ex. LLC) has at least 3 year’s story, by bringing all the regular tax declarations to the police office.
5. Work permit within the government annual quotas mechanism
6. Investment of
- 500.000 euro or more in an existing Italian company
- 250.000 euro or more in an existing Italian Innovative START UP company
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Italy’s residency by investment (RBI) visa
Why foreign investors are increasingly interested in Italy’s Golden Visa?
Italy does not offer citizenship by investment but it has an attractive residency by investment program.
No risk: the applicant is not required to make any payments in advance. Once the investment proposal is accepted by the Ministry, the actual investment muts be executed only after obtaining the visa, within 3 months from arrival in Italy.
What is the required investment? Residency rights can be obtained by investing € 250 K, € 500 K, € 1 Million or € 2 Million in purchasing shares of a Spa or Srl company (the most popular investment is the purchase of € 500 K of shares of publicly listed companies), purchasing Gov.t bonds or make a philantropic donation.
Which rights the Investor can obtain? The Investor will obtain a residency permit that allows to live and work in Italy. Residency rights are extended to the the family (spouse and minor children). If the Investor registers as resident with the City Hall (this will however bring tax obligations) it shall have (i) the right to register with the Health National System (ii) after 5 years apply for permanent residency (a language test is required) and (iii) after 10 years for citizenship.
Which are the possible benefits of this program? (i) The investor visa does not require, for its renewal, that the holder spends a minimum amount of time in Italy. Indeed, holding an investor visa does not imply by itself the acquisition of Italian tax residence. If Investor spends in the country less than 183 days/year and does not have other strong ties with Italy, there will be no tax obligations; (ii) Investor Visa allows also to work and can be converted into a work permit, if the individual meets all requirements for conversion; (iii)the application for the Italy Investor Visa Clearance (“Nulla Osta”) can be filed also using a company controlled by the applicant; (iv) Investor permit holders are exempted from the language test requirements, unless they want to apply for permanent residency after 5 years.
Tax incentives and residency rights: Italy offers favorable tax schemes to new residents and pensioners moving in certain areas of the country. Some people think that applying for a tax incentive scheme will automatically grant a resident visa, but this is not correct. Only EU citizens are free to take residency in Italy without need for a visa. Non EU citizens — even when they obtain a clearance by the Tax Agency to benefit of a special tax scheme — will still need to obtain a long term Visa to live in the country.
How long the procedure can take? If the application and supporting documents are complete, the Ministry will answer within 30 days. The applicant will then be given priority for the visa application at the Italian Consulate and visas are usually granted in 7–10 days. Upon arrival in Italy, the investor has the right to book an appointment at the Police, without need (as for all other visas) to file first an application at the Post Office.
Source: Avv. Marco Mazzeschi