Vulnerable worker open work permit lawyers in BC
If your employer is abusing you, or threatening to, and your work permit ties you to that employer, you may be able to get an open work permit and leave. We prepare the application and the evidence.
- Open work permit applications for vulnerable workers (IRPR s. 207.1)
- Letter of explanation and evidence of abuse, prepared with you
- Refusals, new applications and Federal Court review
Tell us what is happening
A lawyer will contact you. Your employer will not be contacted.
The lawyers who will handle your case
You deal directly with a lawyer who knows your file, from the first call to the decision.
Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha
Barrister & Solicitor
Prabhpreet focuses on refugee claims, immigration appeals, inadmissibility, detention reviews and Federal Court cases. She has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars and the National Immigration Conference, and is a former board member of the South Asian Bar Association of BC. She speaks English, Punjabi and Hindi.
Sundeep S. Grewal
Barrister & Solicitor · Founder
Sundeep founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada. Having studied abroad and navigated another country's immigration system himself, he explains every option in plain language and gives you an honest assessment of your chances.
Pardeep S. Grewal
Barrister & Solicitor
Pardeep is an immigration and estates lawyer with an Honours degree in Psychology. He is known for clear communication, practical strategy and compassionate service, so clients feel informed and heard at every stage.
Offices in Abbotsford, Surrey and Vancouver (#1300, 1500 West Georgia Street). Meetings in person, by phone or by video.
Who qualifies for the vulnerable worker open work permit
The permit is for workers whose permit ties them to one employer, so leaving an abusive job would otherwise mean losing the right to work. You need all three:
1. You are in Canada
The application is made online from inside Canada. It cannot be made at the border or from outside the country.
2. A valid employer-specific permit
An LMIA-based permit (including the seasonal agricultural program) or an employer-specific LMIA-exempt permit, still valid, or renewed on time so you are on maintained status.
3. Abuse or risk of abuse
The officer must have "reasonable grounds to believe" you are being abused, or are at risk, in your job. That is a lower standard than proof, but it still needs evidence.
What counts as abuse
The regulations define five kinds (IRPR s. 196.2). The abuse can come from your employer, a supervisor, a recruiter or co-workers.
| Kind | Examples |
|---|---|
| Financial | Unpaid or underpaid wages, money taken back, recruitment fees, a passport or documents kept by the employer |
| Psychological | Threats, including threats to have you deported, intimidation, humiliation, controlling where you go |
| Physical | Assault, being locked in, unsafe work, unsafe or unsanitary employer housing |
| Sexual | Sexual contact without consent, sexual harassment |
| Reprisal | Being fired, demoted or threatened for complaining or for cooperating with an inspection |
Usually not abuse (IRCC, February 2026): a fair layoff for lack of work, a reasonable firing for cause, a job offer you knew was fake, or applying mainly to stay in Canada longer. Each case is still looked at on its own facts.
How we prepare your application
1. Check eligibility
We confirm your permit type and dates, and whether what is happening fits the definition of abuse, before anything is filed.
2. Build the evidence
We write your letter of explanation with you and organize the proof: messages, pay records, photos, medical or support-agency letters, witness statements and a sworn statement where it helps.
3. File and follow up
We file online, answer requests for more information, prepare you for an interview if IRCC asks for one, and apply for your family members' permits at the same time.
What to have ready
Your status
- Your work permit and passport (all pages, if you still have it)
- Any renewal application and its confirmation
- Your job offer or contract
Proof of what happened
- Texts, emails, voice messages
- Pay stubs, bank records, receipts for fees
- Photos of housing or the workplace
- Names of people who saw it
Other help you have had
- Letters from a doctor, counsellor or support agency
- Complaints to Employment Standards, police or other agencies (not required)
Documents not in English or French need certified translations. A family member cannot translate or certify them.
After you apply
Processing
In 2023, 80% of applications were decided within 34 days. Missing evidence is the main cause of delays and refusals.
Interviews
An officer may interview you by phone, video or in person, usually if something needs clarifying. An interpreter is provided if needed.
If you are approved
An open work permit, usually for 12 months, for almost any employer. Plan the next step early: what to do before it ends.
Only 58% of applications were approved in 2023. If you are refused, you may be able to apply again with stronger evidence, or ask the Federal Court to review the refusal within 15 days. See vulnerable worker permit refused.
Real reviews from real clients
Questions about the vulnerable worker permit
Who can apply for the open work permit for vulnerable workers?
A worker in Canada who holds a valid employer-specific work permit (LMIA-based or LMIA-exempt), or who applied to renew one before it expired, and who is experiencing abuse or is at risk of abuse in their job (IRPR s. 207.1). You can apply even if you have already left the job, as long as your permit is still valid.
Does IRCC charge a fee?
No. IRCC charges no processing fee and no open work permit fee for this permit. Our legal fees for preparing the application are separate, and we explain them before you hire us.
Will my employer find out?
IRCC's instructions tell officers not to contact your employer to check your story. What you tell us is confidential.
What counts as abuse?
Physical abuse (including unsafe employer housing), sexual abuse, psychological abuse such as threats or intimidation, financial abuse such as unpaid wages or a kept passport, and reprisal for reporting the employer (IRPR s. 196.2). Since February 2026, IRCC lists situations that usually do not count, such as a fair layoff.
How long does it take?
IRCC does not promise a time. In 2023, 80% of applications were decided within 34 days. Check IRCC's current processing times, and make sure your evidence is complete so the officer does not have to come back to you.
How long is the permit valid?
Usually 12 months. It lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, so you can leave the abusive job.
Can my family get work permits too?
Yes. Family members in Canada can get open work permits at the same time, and dependent children can get study permits or visitor records.
What if I am refused?
You can apply again with better evidence if your employer-specific permit is still valid, or ask the Federal Court to review the refusal within 15 days. Only a lawyer can represent you in the Federal Court.
More: our full guide to the vulnerable worker open work permit.
Being abused at work? Your permit doesn't have to keep you there.
Tell us what is happening while your work permit is still valid.