AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly: new preparatory courses for Italian exams

AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly: new preparatory courses for Italian exams for the issuing of Permits of Stay.

AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly, in collaboration with the Integra – Immigration Services agency, offers a special consultancy service with regard to Permit of Stay applications (Italian course + documentation check + administrative assistance with the application).

The AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly Italian Language and Culture School in Turin (www.ciaoitaly-turin.com), in collaboration with the Integra Immigration Services agency (Via Genova, 23\c), offers an exclusive Permit of Stay application management service. The Integra agency will be responsible for gathering and checking the required documents as well as online enrolment for the exam. The courses, on the other hand, will take place at AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly (Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 40). The courses will start at the beginning of every month and will be organised into 8 lessons lasting 2 hours each. During the lessons, the candidates will prepare for the Italian language exam through simulations of the various tests they will have to take. A free entry test is foreseen in order to evaluate the students’ suitability for the course, and they will receive a free book and audio CD so that they can also study at home. Courses are available in individual (1 participant), semi-individual (2 participants), mini-group (3 participants) and group (from 5 to 10 participants) formats, with prices starting from €240 per person.

THE PERMIT OF STAY AND THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE EXAM

The Permit of Stay is a special Residence Permit for long-term residents (art. 9, paragraph 1 of the T.U. of 98/286), reserved for foreigners who have been legally resident in Italy for at least 5 years. The requirements for the issue of a Permit of Stay are:

- The applicant must be in possession of a valid renewable residence permit;

- The applicant must receive sufficient income in relation to the size of his/her family unit

- The applicant must pass an Italian language exam which demonstrates a level corresponding to A2 of the Common European Reference Framework.

The Italian language exam, organised every month by the relevant local prefecture, is not obligatory for all foreigners. Indeed, the following are exempt:

•    those under 14 years of age

•    those in possession of a certificate issued by the public health service, declaring
serious language learning difficulties due to age, pathologies or disabilities;

•    those in possession of a level A2 Italian language certificate issued by a certifying body recognised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by MIUR; • those who have attended an Italian language course at one of the Provincial Centres for Adult Education and who have been awarded a diploma certifying level
A2;

•    those who have been awarded a level one or level two secondary school diploma at an Italian school, or who are attending a degree, master or doctorate course at an Italian State or legally recognised university;

• foreigners who have obtained, through the credit points accumulated via an integration agreement in accordance with article 4 bis of the T.U., recognition of a level of competence in the Italian language no lower than A2;

•    foreigners who entered Italy in accordance with art. 27 , paragraph 1 letters a), c), d) and q) of the T.U. 98/286.

An application to participate in the test should be presented, via internet, to the relevant prefecture. The foreign citizen will be summoned by the prefecture to take the test within 60 days of the application being received. The convocation will indicate the day, time and location of the exam. In order to pass the test, based on the comprehension of short texts and on the ability of candidates to interact, a total mark of 80% is required. In the event that the test is failed, it will be necessary to repeat the test and present another online application.

ABBEYSCHOOL CIAOITALY

AbbeySchoolCiaoItaly is a school which specialises in teaching the Italian language and culture to foreigners. The institution, which belongs to the AbbeySchool group, was founded in 2008, and in 2012 it was admitted to ASILS (the national association, recognised by Italian Embassies abroad, of the best schools teaching Italian to foreigners - www.asils.it). The school is attended by an average of 250 pupils a year of all ages and from all over the world. The website www.ciaoitaly-turin.com receives 20,000 hits a year from all parts of the globe.