New Italian visa rules spark concerns over impact on international students

By Minh Nga   December 16, 2024 | 06:33 pm PT
New Italian visa rules spark concerns over impact on international students
People take selfies outside the Colosseum in Rome, April 2021. Photo by Reuters
Italy's updated visa requirements for long-term stays, mandating individual fingerprinting appointments, have sparked concerns among stakeholders about potential challenges for international students.

Starting Jan. 10 next year, applicants for Type D visas—required for stays exceeding 90 days, including semester-long study programs—must book individual appointments at Italian consulates for fingerprinting.

Melissa Torres, CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, expressed concerns that the new rule might discourage students from choosing Italy for semester-abroad programs.

"In addition to the increased expense of traveling to a consulate and the likelihood of massive wait times for visa appointments, I am concerned that this new requirement will impact students' decisions to spend a full semester abroad," Torres told The PIE News.

Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director of public policy at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, warned that the policy could push students toward alternative destinations or shorter study-abroad programs due to logistical challenges.

"Italy, which attracted 15% of U.S. students studying abroad in 2022/2023, could face a decline in numbers," Murray told The PIE.

The new policy eliminates the batch processing option previously used by many U.S. institutions to simplify the visa application process for students.

In response, NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad have urged the Italian government to reinstate batch processing, allocate additional resources for visa appointments, and allow fingerprinting at honorary consulates or local authorities.

Meanwhile, students are advised to apply for visas as early as possible, as consulates may struggle to accommodate demand.

According to Statista, 96,083 foreign students were enrolled at Italian universities in the 2023/2024 academic year, with the majority coming from Iran (13,081), Turkey (6,404), and China (6,093).

 
 
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