Key Highlights
Italy will start mandatory biometrics collection for all long-term visa applicants, including international students, on 11 January 2025, during a major policy shift. Under the new requirement, barring an appeal, all prospective students and other visa applicants will have to provide fingerprints.
Key Changes and Their Impact
The move is the first time that biometric requirements have been extended to long-term visas under the Italian government's new policy on immigration. This requirement was previously only required by short-term Schengen visa applicants. It now includes a wider category of visas, including work and family reunification and study.
The new rules impose individual scheduling for biometrics at Italian consulates, even for Type D visas, which are for stays of more than 90 days. While this gives more security, it ultimately elongates the visa application process and adds additional steps.
Implications for International Students
International students and the education sector will see the most impact from this policy change. As a popular choice for foreign students, Italy could suffer from its new requirement for its attractiveness as a place to study abroad.
Those students planning to attend Italian universities for programs of more than three months will now need to allow more time, and possibly more money, for their visa applications. This encompasses schedules and journeys to Italian consulates to be physically present as the consular forms are submitted, which can be more difficult for students who live away from those Locations.
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Logistical Challenges Area of Concern
The introduction of mandatory biometric collection raises several logistical concerns:
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Increased Processing Times: This will likely increase the amount of time it takes to process visas, which could delay students’ academic plans.
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Additional Costs: In addition to travelling to consulates, some students may also have to take a bit of time off from work or studies, incurring extra expenses to do so.
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Consular Capacity: Questions remain about whether Italian consulates around the world are adequately staffed to manage the higher volume all at once.
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Potential Backlogs: There are concerns about possible backlogs in appointment availability, especially during peak application seasons.
Administrative Burden vs. Security Enhancement
For their part, the Italian government describes it as a fundamental security measure, but that does impose an administrative stage to the visa application. The biometric data collected is valid for 59 months, while the fingerprinting procedure takes only a few minutes.
This means that existing, repeat applicants within the time period will not need to resubmit fingerprints. Change is, however, likely to significantly disrupt the initial implementation phase for education organisations and students looking ahead to their academic journey.
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International Comparisons
Italy joins a wider trend in the world's immigration policies of consistently aiming to collect more biometric data for security and identity verification purposes. Yet, there is a range from how extensive such methods are to how they are implemented between nations.
Standing out as being somewhat comprehensive is the blanket application of biometrics to all long-term visas, including student visas, in Italy (for example). This solution places Italy at the top of the Schengen area in terms of biometric implementation while setting a precedent for other European countries.
Reactions from Stakeholders
Some concerns have also arisen from educational institutions and international student organisations regarding the impact on Italy's attractiveness as a study destination. Some are calling on the Italian government to also examine policies that will lessen the burden on students in good standing, including streamlining application procedures for educational visas or an additional influx of resources at embassies and consulates to handle the anticipated rise in appointments.
Preparing for the Change
As the implementation date approaches, prospective visa applicants, especially students, are advised to:
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Plan well in advance: Apply for the visa process earlier than you usually do to take care of any possible holdups.
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Stay informed: Monitor updates coming from Italian consulates and educational institutions around new procedures.
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Budget for additional costs: Think about how much time and potential travel expenses to consulates for biometric appointments have to be.
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Long-Term Implications
Of course, the immediate challenge is dealing with this requirement, but it is also important to look beyond this in order to anticipate the long-term impacts. While such measures could mean more streamlined procedures in the future after the pilot stage, we have to overcome the initial implementation hurdles. They do entail increased security measures. Furthermore, the collection of biometric data across visa categories could also be standardised over time, leading to subsequent simplification of certain components of immigration management.
Conclusion
The move by Italy to mandate biometric data collection for long-term visas is a departure for the country in relation to its immigration policy. Although this is intended to strengthen security, this effort raises new challenges, mostly for international students and educational institutes. Everyone, from applicants to consular services, will need to adapt to these new requirements as January 11, 2025, marks the date of starting the change.
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