The Italian government’s updated visa requirements, effective January 10th, 2025, are raising concerns among stakeholders, who fear the changes could make studying in Italy more difficult for international students.
The new regulations require Type D visa applicants, including students planning to study for more than 90 days, to book individual appointments for fingerprinting at Italian consulates.
This new process is expected to increase the administrative workload and may lead to delays for students seeking to study in Italy.
The change, stakeholders say, will add significant challenges for students and universities. CEO of Forum on Education Abroad, Melissa Torres, told The PIE News that;
“In addition to the increased expense, many students will incur travelling to a consulate and the likelihood of massive wait times for visa appointments, I am concerned that this new requirement will impact students’ decision to spend a full semester abroad,”
New rules affect student visa processing
Deputy executive director of NAFSA, Jill Allen Murray, who also felt at loss concerning the development, stated that in addition to requiring individual appointments, the update eliminates “batch” processing, a practice used by US universities to help large groups of students secure visas efficiently.
Murray explained that this would increase the administrative demands on each Italian consulate.
“The policy change also effectively eliminates the option for ‘batch’ processing, which many US institutions have used to help their students secure visas in a timely fashion and increases the administrative demands on each Italian consulate.”
This change could further complicate the visa process for students and institutions, leading to potential delays and confusion.
US students may choose shorter programs or alternative destinations
Reports inform that Italy was the top destination for US students studying abroad in the 2022/23 academic year, with 15% of students selecting Italy, a 37% increase from the previous year.
However, the new visa rules could lead students to consider other study-abroad destinations, as according to the PIE News, several US study-abroad providers are already looking at shortening programs to avoid complications with the visa process.
This shift could see fewer students choosing long-term programs in Italy if the new requirements make the visa process too difficult.
Joint effort to address visa concerns
In response to the changes, NAFSA and Forum on Education Abroad have written a joint letter to the Italian ambassador, urging the restoration of batch processing.
They have also requested that Italy allocate more resources to consular appointments and allow fingerprinting to be done at honorary consulates or local police stations.
Both organizations warn that the new system may not have enough capacity to handle the expected demand for student visas, and have urged students to apply as early as possible to avoid delays.
Advice for students applying for Italian visas
According to reports, NASA and Forum on Education Abroad have advised students planning to study in Italy to apply for their D visas well before the new rules take effect on January 10th, 2025.
With the anticipated strain on consular services, early applications will help ensure students meet visa deadlines and avoid disruptions to their study plans.