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Vulnerable workers · OWP-V

Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers — you don’t have to leave Canada.

If your work permit ties you to one employer and that employer is abusing you, there is a permit for exactly this: a free, expedited open work permit that lets you leave without losing your status.

Check privately → Talk to us now

FeeNo fee
SpeedExpedited
EmployerYour employer is not asked

In danger right now? Call 911. Toll-free 24/7 lines: Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline, confidential, 1-833-900-1010 · report an employer to the Government of Canada, no name needed, 1-866-602-9448.

Do you qualify?

Check in private.

Tick anything that has happened to you. This is a first read, not a decision — an RCIC can look at your situation in confidence.

Tick all that apply. Nothing leaves this page.

Your current permit

Has any of this happened?

Wages unpaid, withheld, or illegal deductions Physical or sexual abuse Threats, intimidation or humiliation Passport or documents held by the employer Excessive hours or unsafe conditions Threats about your immigration status

A wide workshop window looking out over evergreens and a blue lake, with worn work gloves stitched in red and a plain metal lunch tin resting on the wooden sill

You do not need your employer’s permission or knowledge.

This permit exists because employer-specific permits can trap workers. Abuse includes physical, sexual, psychological and financial mistreatment — including threats about your immigration status.

What counts as abuse

You may qualify if this sounds familiar.

Abuse here is broader than most workers assume. Financial control and threats about status are squarely included.

Harm to you

Physical or sexual abuseAlways qualifies

Any physical harm, unwanted contact or sexual harassment at work or in employer-provided housing.

Psychological abuse

Threats, intimidation, humiliation or isolation that make the workplace unbearable.

Control over money and papers

Financial abuseVery common

Unpaid or withheld wages, illegal deductions, or being charged for your job.

Documents held

An employer keeping your passport, permit or identity documents to keep you compliant.

Conditions and threats

Unsafe conditions

Hours far beyond what was agreed, denied breaks, or conditions that put your safety at risk.

Threats about status

Being told you will be deported or have your permit cancelled if you complain.

How we work

How we handle these applications.

A confidential first call
We understand your situation before anything is filed, and we move at a pace that keeps you safe.
Build your statement
We help you set out what happened clearly and credibly. This is the heart of the application.
File on an expedited basis
We prepare the application with the fee exemption and press the urgency, because time matters here.
Plan your next permit
This permit is a bridge. Officers may issue it for 12 months, never past your passport’s expiry, and it cannot be renewed. We plan the permit that follows so you keep working, and any route to PR.

The work permit fee is waived; IRCC may still ask for biometrics and the $85 biometrics fee. Source: IRCC program delivery instructions, open work permits for vulnerable workers (opens in a new tab) and canada.ca (opens in a new tab), verified October 9, 2026.

Confidential · priority review

Get out safely, and stay in Canada.

Tell us what is happening at work. A licensed RCIC will tell you whether this permit fits and how quickly it can be filed.

Whether your situation qualifies as abuse.
What evidence you have — and what is enough.
How fast the application can realistically move.
What permit comes next, so you keep working.

FormWrite to us below
Use an email and phone number your employer cannot see or check.
WhatsAppMessage instead
Prefer WhatsApp? Message us, nothing is filled in on this page.
PhoneCall when it is safe
647-948-7200

Confidential enquiry

Private and handled urgently by a licensed RCIC.

Thanks — we’ll be in touch

A licensed RCIC will review your details and reach out, usually the same business day.

Message us on WhatsApp

Good to know

Questions about workplace abuse and work permits?

We keep every common question — eligibility, documents, timing, fees and processing — answered and updated in one place. Visit the Help Centre.

My employer is abusing me but my permit is tied to them. What can I do?

There is an open work permit for vulnerable workers. It is fee-exempt, processed on a priority basis, and your employer is not asked for permission. It exists precisely because employer-specific permits can trap people.

Does unpaid wages count as abuse?

Yes. Financial abuse is expressly included — withheld or unpaid wages, illegal deductions, or being charged for your job. Many workers endure this far longer than they need to because they do not realise it qualifies.

My status depends on an abusive spouse. What are my options?

There is a dedicated fee-exempt permit for people in Canada experiencing family violence, which can come with an open work permit and healthcare coverage. Dependent children in Canada can often be included.

Will my spouse or employer be told?

These measures exist because status is being used as leverage. Applications are handled with that reality in mind, and where contact with another party is ever unavoidable you would know in advance.

What if I am in immediate danger?

Call 911. Provincial crisis lines and local shelters operate around the clock. Immigration can be handled once you are safe, and your status can usually be protected.

More questions on this topic are answered in the Help Centre.

Related services

Explore your other options.

General information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees and processing times change — confirm current requirements on canada.ca before filing. Contacting us does not create a client–consultant relationship until a written retainer is signed. IRCC makes all final decisions.

Next on your path

Keep your file moving.

The checklist, free tools and guides that usually come next.