Flow Decree Without the residence contract, the residence permit is inadmissible

Flow Decree: Without the residence contract, the residence permit is inadmissible Welcome to a new episode of the podcast “Immigration Law”. I am lawyer Fabio Loscerbo, and today we are discussing a recent decision of the Regional Administrative Court for Lazio, Section I Ter, judgment number 4151 of March 5, 2026, case number R.G. 1535 of 2026. The case concerns a foreign worker who entered Italy legally with a visa issued under the Italian “Decreto Flussi” program for seasonal work. However, after entering the country, one of the fundamental steps required by Italian immigration law was never completed: the signing of the residence contract at the Immigration One-Stop Shop. Because of this missing step, the Rome Police Headquarters declared the application for a residence permit for employment inadmissible. On the same day, the Prefecture of Rome also issued an expulsion order, based on the absence of a valid residence permit. The Administrative Court examined the two issues separately. Regarding the expulsion order, the Court declared lack of jurisdiction, stating that the matter falls under the competence of the ordinary civil court, because expulsion measures affect the subjective rights of the foreign national under Italian immigration law. The outcome was different with respect to the refusal of the residence permit. On this point, the Court considered the decision of the Police Headquarters to be fully lawful. According to the judges, the legal framework is very clear: a foreign worker who enters Italy with a work authorization must appear before the Immigration One-Stop Shop and sign the residence contract with the employer. Only after this step can the administrative procedure for obtaining a residence permit begin. In this case, that step had never been completed. For this reason, the Court held that the administration’s decision was a mandatory and bound act, required by the provisions of the Italian Immigration Act and its implementing regulations. This judgment highlights an important principle: entering Italy under the “Decreto Flussi” system is not sufficient, by itself, to obtain a residence permit. The entire administrative procedure established by law must be correctly completed. Thank you for listening to this episode of the podcast “Immigration Law”. I am lawyer Fabio Loscerbo, and I will see you in the next episode. ⚖️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTwJr3_mNv4