I have a Permit of Stay for studies. I’ve found a company willing to employ me. Can I convert my Permit of Stay for studies into one for work?
It is important to first of all note that a holder of a Permit of Stay for studies can be employed even without necessarily converting it into one for work.
This is valid only for a work contract which doesn’t exceed 20 working hours per week, and in any case not more than 1040 working hours per year. This limit was established to ensure that students mainly attend the courses they are enrolled for. They can therefore work part time to earn some money for their upkeep.
If a student would like to be hired with a subordinate work contract whose working hours exceeds those allowed to students, or if he would like to give up his studies all together, he must first of all apply for the conversion of his permit into one for work.
Only the holder of a valid Permit of Stay for studies or one who has applied for renewal of his permit can apply for its conversion into one for work. New students who are still waiting to be issued the first Permit of Stay for studies cannot convert it into one for work.
There are two different ways of converting the Permit of Stay for studies into Permit of Stay for work.
A student who has obtained any of the following qualifications in Italy: Degree (after three years of studies, with 180 university credits); Specialisation Degree (300 credits, including 180 university credits); Specialisation Diploma (at least 2 years); Doctorate (at least 3 years); 1st Level University Master (at least one year, 60 credits) accessible to graduates; 2nd Level University Master (at least 60 university credits) accessible to graduates or holders of Specialisation Degrees; Certificate or Specialisation Diploma (at least one year, 60 credits) accessible to graduates or holders of Specialization Degrees, can apply for conversion of the Permit of Stay for studies at any time in the course of the year without waiting for the publication of the Quota Agreement (Decreto flussi).
In the above cases, application for conversion of the permit must be submitted online at the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs (www.interno.it) using a special form called “modulo V2”. Apart from the applicant’s personal data, the contractual conditions must also be indicated on the form.
The application must be forward to the local Immigrations Office at the Prefecture in the applicant’s area of residence.
Having received the application, the Immigrations Office will summon the application to submit the following documents:
- a copy of the Permit of Stay
- a copy of the Degree, Master, PhD, etc.
- a copy of the proposed work contract prepared using “Modulo Q” subordinated to the issuing of the Permit of Stay for subordinate work
- a copy of the employer’s ID or of the company’s legal representative
- a copy of the company’s registration certificate with the Chamber of Commerce
The applicant must also provide proof of availability of suitable accommodation which meets the health standards. This can be done by showing a copy of the rent contract or a letter from the one providing hospitality and the certificate of suitable accommodation issued by the competent offices.
A student who has not yet completed any of the above studies or who is not taking a university course can apply for the conversion of his Permit of Stay for studies into one for work, but only after the publication of the Quota Agreement. Each Quota Agreement normally creates some quotas allowing students to convert their student permits.
Once the Quota Agreement has been published in the Official Gazette, the application must be submitted online, by logging on to the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs (www.interno.it). The application must be prepared using a special form called “modulo VA”.
Having received the application, the competent Immigrations Office at the Prefecture will summon the applicant to submit the following documents:
- a copy of the Permit of Stay
- a copy of the proposed work contract prepared using “Modulo Q” subordinated to the issuing of the Permit of Stay for subordinate work
- a copy of the employer’s ID or of the company’s legal representative
- a copy of the company’s registration certificate with the Chamber of Commerce
- proof or availability of suitable accommodation
In both the above cases, once the Immigrations Office at the Prefecture has processed the application, it will issue a certificate assigning a quota to the applicant. This certificate which is known as “l’attestazione della quota disponibile”, must be attached to the other documents required for applying for the Permit of Stay for subordinate work. The application for the permit is submitted at the authorized post offices, those with special counters known as “Sportello Amico”.
By Mascia Salvatore
