If you are planning to come to Italy or another European country for work, there is something you really need to understand before you give your money to anyone.

You may have heard people say:

“Pay me €7,000, €10,000, or even €15,000, and I will get you a job contract in Italy.”

Sometimes they will tell you that the contract is enough to get your visa and bring you to Europe.

Please be very careful.

There are real companies in Italy that recruit workers from outside Europe. There are also legal immigration procedures, including the Decreto Flussi, that allow non-EU workers to enter Italy for genuine employment.

But there is a big difference between a real job offer and a contract created only on paper to bring someone into Italy.

How the fake contract system works

In some cases, people are asked to pay thousands of euros for a job that does not actually exist.

The person or intermediary may tell you:

“Don’t worry. I have a company that can make the contract.”

You pay the money, the company declares that it wants to employ you, and the necessary immigration paperwork is submitted.

On paper, everything may look normal.

But when you arrive in Italy, you discover that the job you were promised is not there.

This is where the real problems can begin.

You may have already spent €10,000 or more. You may have borrowed money from your family. You may have sold property or taken on debt to finance the journey.

And now you are in a foreign country without the job you were promised.

What can happen after arrival?

Investigations into these types of schemes in Italy have described situations where migrants were left without the promised employment and became dependent on the same people who arranged their arrival.

Some were reportedly placed in poor accommodation and charged rent. Others were asked for additional money for documents or false payslips.

Some had to survive by working illegally.

At that point, the person who paid thousands of euros to come to Italy can end up in an extremely vulnerable position.

And there is another serious problem.

If the authorities discover that the employment relationship was fictitious, the immigration consequences can be serious.

So the question is not simply:

“Can someone get me a contract?”

The real question is

“Is there a genuine employer, a genuine job, and a genuine intention to employ me?”

That is what you need to verify before paying anyone.

“But they told me many people have already come.”

This is one of the most common arguments you may hear.

Someone might say:

“Don’t worry. I have already brought many people to Italy.”

Or:

“It has already worked for other people.”

That does not prove that the arrangement is legal.

Someone else receiving a visa or entering Italy does not mean that the person who arranged the contract followed the law.

And if someone asks you for thousands of euros simply to produce a job contract, you should stop and ask questions before sending any money.

A real recruitment process is different.

There is nothing illegal about an Italian company genuinely wanting to hire a worker from outside the EU.

A legitimate recruitment process should have a real employer, a real position, real working conditions, and genuine documentation.

The candidate should be able to understand:

• Who the employer is
• What the job actually is
• Where the workplace is
• What salary and working conditions are offered
• What qualifications are required
• What documents are being submitted
• Who is responsible for each part of the process
• What fees are being charged and why

Most importantly, the job should still exist when you arrive.

A job contract should not simply be a ticket to enter Italy.

What we do at IDA International Mobility Consulting

At IDA International Mobility Consulting, this is one of the areas where we want to be very clear.

We do not offer fictional jobs.

We do not create employment contracts just to help someone obtain an immigration document.

We do not work with companies that are only providing a name on paper.

Our role is to help candidates and businesses understand the process, prepare genuine documentation, and connect qualified people with legitimate opportunities.

If a candidate does not meet the requirements, we would rather tell them that honestly than take thousands of euros and make promises we cannot guarantee.

Before you pay anyone, ask these questions.

If somebody is offering you a job in Italy, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Ask for the name and details of the employer.

Ask what the actual job is.

Ask where you will work.

Ask how much you will be paid.

Ask what happens after you arrive.

Ask exactly what you are paying for.

And be especially careful if someone says:

“Just give me €10,000 and I will take care of everything.”

A legitimate immigration and recruitment process should not depend on secrecy.

You should know what you are paying for and who is actually employing you.

Coming to Europe should not mean putting your future in someone else’s hands.

For many people, coming to Italy for work is a huge decision.

It can mean years of savings, family sacrifices, loans, and hopes for a better future.

That is exactly why you should not make the decision based only on someone’s promise that they can “get you a contract.”

If you are a nurse, technician, engineer, hospitality professional, or another qualified worker, there are legitimate ways to look for opportunities in Europe.

They may take more time.

They may require language training, recognition of qualifications, additional documents, or a genuine recruitment process.

But that is very different from paying someone thousands of euros for a job that exists only on paper.

If the job is real, the employer should be real too.

And before you pay anyone, make sure you understand exactly what you are paying for.

Ismaël Dadis Adam
Founder, IDA International Mobility Consulting