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, Art. 27-quater specifies that the EU Blue Card can be applied for with reference to university graduates. The provision specifies that it must be at least a th...