New on TikTok: Minor residence permit: what happens when you turn 18 Welcome to a new episode of the podcast Diritto dell’Immigrazione, I am avvocato Fabio Loscerbo. Today we talk about the residence permit for minors and what happens when the minor turns eighteen, in particular the conversion of the permit. This is a crucial moment, often mishandled in administrative practice, despite a clear legal framework. The residence permit issued for minor age is not a weak or temporary title. It is a fully valid permit, granted to protect a person who is legally considered vulnerable. Problems usually arise when the minor becomes an adult and applies for the conversion of the permit, typically into a permit for subordinate employment or for job seeking. On this issue, an important clarification comes from a recent decision of the Regional Administrative Court for Lombardy, Fourth Section, published on 28 January 2026, concerning a case registered under general register number 4060 of 2025. In that case, the police authority rejected the application for conversion, arguing that the opinion of the Directorate General for Immigration and Integration Policies of the Ministry of Labour had not been acquired. The Court reaffirmed a key principle: the duty to obtain that opinion lies with the administration, not with the applicant. Article 32 of the Italian Immigration Consolidated Act regulates the conversion of residence permits for unaccompanied minors and identifies two main situations: minors who have been placed under guardianship or entrusted to social services, and minors who have been included for at least two years in a social and civic integration project. In both cases, the administrative investigation must be carried out ex officio by the public authority. The ministerial opinion is mandatory, but not binding, and its absence cannot justify a refusal of the conversion request. The police authority must complete the procedure properly and then assess the applicant’s situation, including employment conditions. The message is clear: the conversion of a residence permit for minor age is not a discretionary favour, but the natural continuation of a protection and integration pathway. When the administration fails to conduct the required investigation, the refusal is unlawful and can be annulled by a court. This step is decisive, because from that conversion depends the possibility to work legally, to build a life project, and to remain lawfully in Italy. We will come back to this topic, because it goes to the heart of the future of immigration law. See you in the next episode.

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