Foreign workers who arrive in Italy with the authorized immigration flows can register immediately with the National Health Service, without waiting for their permesso di soggiorno to be granted. In this case their rights are equal to those of immigrants who already have their permits.
This information was communicated in a Ministry of Health circular sent last April to the regional and provincial health council offices.
The text refers to a directive signed by Amato last February, according to which 'during the period of delay in the granting of the initial permesso di soggiorno for subordinate work, the foreign worker may legitimately exercise the rights resulting from that permit. This is valid, of course, only if the subject has signed a contratto di soggiorno and submitted an application for the permesso di soggiorno to the Immigration Office (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione) within eight (8) days of entering Italy'.
Regarding those waiting for their permit to be renewed, the circular emphasizes that the law D.P.R. 334/04 clearly states that registration in the National Health Service 'does not expire' during this phase. In order to remain on the lists, the immigrant must simply submit the receipt of his/her application for renewal issued by the Post Office. As the Ministry stressed, this document 'has the same value and involves the same effects as the coupon issued in the past by the Police Headquarters'.
Finally, the circular deals with foreign minors who have been adopted or taken into foster care prior to adoption. As of last February, the permesso di soggiorno that was issued to these children has been eliminated. Nonetheless, they continue to have the right to immediate registration in the National Health Service, 'with the same modalities foreseen for initial registration in the National Health Service for minors of Italian citizenship'; that is, simply presenting the parent’s identification document, a family status (stato di famiglia) document (which can be self-certified) and the child’s fiscal code.