One of the main challenges of the European integration process stems from the attempts to develop a common policy on immigration. In this area, in fact, it is pos-sible to evaluate the significant interaction between the status of European citizen and the condition of third-country nationals. In the field of economic immigration only recently, going beyond the traditional sectorial approaches, a general model has been set up by the adoption of Directive 2011/98/UE. This act would constitute the first stage in the developing of a European code on immigration, based on the principle of fair treatment of third-country nationals legally residing in the EU Member States.