Supporting Migrant Workers Experiencing Abuse: Webinar on Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers

Join us on November 27th at 1:00 PM for an online training session on navigating Canada’s Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (VWOWP).
This session equips you with both the framework and practical procedural skills required to confidently navigate the VWOWP application process alongside vulnerable clients. Whether you are looking to deepen your understanding of migrant worker rights or expand to directly assist workers, this training offers practical, trauma-informed guidance you can immediately integrate into your work.

Register now!

The majority of migrant workers employed through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) hold employer-specific work permits, which restrict them to working for a single employer. Migrant workers and civil society organizations have long criticized these permits for creating power imbalances that enable abuse and exploitation. In 2024, UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata echoed these concerns, describing Canada’s TFWP as a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” and identifying employer-specific work permits as a key factor contributing to workers’ vulnerability.

In 2019, the Government of Canada introduced the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (VWOWP), allowing migrant workers with employer-specific work permits who are experiencing or are at risk of abuse in the context of their employment to apply for an open work permit. This training will provide a practical overview of the VWOWP, drawing on the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia’s experience assisting migrant workers with applications. Designed for lawyers and service providers, the session will cover eligibility criteria, forms of abuse recognized under the program, supporting evidence, the application process, and key components of a VWOWP application.