Italy work visa applicants not required to submit original passports

Staff Correspondent: Those applying for work visa for Italy no longer need to submit their original passports when applying.
The VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services company for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, made the announcement on its official Facebook page.
Thousands of workers interested in migrating to Italy are experiencing severe hardships due to their passports being held for months during the visa application process.
Mahbub, an aspiring migrant, commented on the VFS Global Facebook page, “I beg you, I submitted my passport on 27 March 2023, and was supposed to receive it back on 16 August. Please return my passport so I can apply to another country. How much longer do I have to wait? Please, at least deliver the passports from August.”
Now the process has been streamlined to reduce inconvenience for travellers, writes the organisation.
As of today (28 May), applicants will need to submit only scanned copies and photocopies of their passports during the application process. The original passports will be returned to the applicants immediately. Once the embassy has made a decision regarding the visa approval, the applicants will be asked to submit their original passports again for visa issuance.