Case: Michelle is a Pakistani financial advisor, she has graduated from the prestigious London School of Economics, she has worked for an investment bank in the UAE for many years and, in order to complete her top-notch education, she has moved to Italy on a student visa and she has succesflully enrolled in and attended a 1-year master program (EMF) in international finance at Bocconi University in Milan. Upon graduation, due to her international experience and excellent academic path, Michelle has received an interesting job offer from a well known world-wide advisory firm, which is willing to hire and assign her to the Milan-based headquarter.
Question: what are the options for Michelle to convert her study residence permit into a subordinate work permit that would allow her to remain in Italy and start working for the hiring firm in Milan?
Solution: Considering that Michelle has obtained a 1st level master degree by attending a University program here in Italy, and that she has already received a job offer from an Italian employer, she might find particularly interesting and appealing for her case the possibility of converting her study residence permit into a subordinate work permit by carrying out the so called “extra-quota” conversion procedure.
The “extra-quota” conversion procedure allows third-country students to convert their residence permit into a work one, at any given time of the year, without having to comply with the provisions of the annual cap decree (decreto flussi), by means of which the Italian Government establishes the maximum number of study permits that can be converted into work permits in a given year.
According to Italian immigration law, third-country nationals are entitled to convert their study residence permit into a subordinate work one, by means of the above-mentioned “extra-quota” procedure, only on the condition that one (or more) of the following requirements are met. In particular, this route can be pursued by those third-country students who:
- have obtained a 3-year university degree in Italy;
- have obtained a 5-year university degree in Italy;
- have succesfully attended a 1st level Master degree (at least 60 CFU) in Italy;
- have succesfully attended a 2nd level Master degree (60 CFU or more) in Italy; and
- have completed a PHD program at an Italian university.
In order to start off the procedure for the “extra-quota” conversion of her study permit, Michelle will be requested to schedule an appointment in front of the Immigration Office (Prefettura), by means of the specific web portal of the Italian Minister of Interior, in order to sign the so called “contract of stay” (contratto di soggiorno) and to submit to the authorities all the necessary documents expressly required by the law for the conversion, among which the most crucial are:
- Michelle’s master degree issued by Bocconi University;
- Michelle’s residence permit for study purposes;
- the job offer Michelle has received from the Italian company;
- proof of availability of accomodation (lease agreement or real estate ownership);
- certificate of registration with the Municipality where Michelle is residing (certificato di iscrizione anagrafica); and
- copy of the Italian firm’s legal representative passport.
After the appointment at the Immigration Office and the signing of the aforementioned contract of stay, Michelle will have to send the application for the issuance of the final work permit, by submitting the postal kit throught any Post office.
Michelle’s final work permit will be issued in approximately 2 months, but she will be entitled to sign the employment agreement and to start her assignment for the Italian employer immmediately after the submission of the postal kit.The duration of Michelle’s work permit will be linked to the initial duration of her assignment and it can be renewed for further periods, on the condition that her employment relation with the Italian company persists.