Immigration: EU Blue Card

Council Directive 2009/50/EC of 25 May 2009 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment introduced the EU Blue Card in the European Community.

This is a special residence permit granted to highly qualified non-EU workers, that is, in possession of a higher education qualification of a post-secondary higher education programme, lasting at least three years, and/or a related higher vocational qualification.

The EU Blue Card is adopted by employers who need to bring in non-EU professionals with high qualifications or specific university degrees and/or membership of registers.

In Italy this permit is regulated by Article 27-quater of the Consolidated Act on Immigration, Legislative Decree no. 286/1998 - provision introduced in 2012 following the Italian government's transposition of the aforementioned EU directive. It is a so-called 'extra migration flow' work permit as it is not subject to the entry quota schedule provided for by the so-called Flows Decree issued by the government.

The special features of this type of entrance are outlined below.

As can already be assumed from the introduction, first of all, Ar...