Key Points
- Italy will issue 3,500 work visas annually to Pakistanis for the next three years
- 1,500 seasonal and 2,000 non-seasonal jobs approved each year
- Opportunities span ship-breaking, agriculture, hospitality, and healthcare
- Both skilled and semi-skilled workers are eligible to apply
- Italy becomes the first European country to allocate a labour quota specifically for Pakistan
- Pakistan–Italy Joint Working Group meeting scheduled for February 2026 in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has announced that Italy has allocated a quota of 10,500 jobs for Pakistani workers over the next three years — a development the ministry described as a major breakthrough in opening Europe’s labour market to the country’s workforce.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Italy has approved an annual quota under which 3,500 Pakistanis will be able to travel to Italy each year for employment. Of these, 1,500 visas are reserved for seasonal jobs and 2,000 for non-seasonal employment.
The ministry said the approval follows sustained diplomatic efforts, including a special request by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain to the Italian authorities to allocate a dedicated job quota for Pakistan.
Pakistan has been allocated job opportunities in ship-breaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture sectors, the spokesperson added. Skilled and semi-skilled Pakistani workers — including welders, technicians, chefs, waiters, housekeeping staff, nurses, medical technicians and farm workers — will be eligible to apply for these roles.
Italy is the first European country to formally set aside a labour quota specifically for Pakistan, the ministry noted, calling it a “significant milestone” in bilateral labour cooperation. The second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026 to further expand collaboration.
Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain congratulated the nation on the development, saying the agreement reflects Pakistan’s efforts to secure dignified employment opportunities for its workforce at the global level.
“After consistent hard work, employment doors in Italy are opening for Pakistani workers. This is an important milestone in accessing new job opportunities in the European labour market,” he said, expressing confidence that more European countries will soon open their labour markets to Pakistani workers.
He added that overseas Pakistanis act as the country’s ambassadors and “the backbone of the national economy,” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting workers seeking opportunities abroad.
