Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers Canada: 2026 Guide

1. What Is the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers?

The open work permit for vulnerable workers, commonly referred to as an OWP-V, is a temporary immigration measure designed to help eligible foreign workers in Canada leave employment where they are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing abuse.

The permit is particularly important for workers whose existing immigration authorization is tied to a specific employer.

Ordinarily, an employer-specific work permit restricts the worker to the employer and other conditions identified on the permit. That can create a serious practical problem where the employment itself has become abusive.

The vulnerable-worker provisions allow an eligible worker to apply for an open work permit, removing the immediate immigration dependency on that employer.

For the broader Canadian work authorization framework, see the Work Permit Canada: Requirements & Complete Guide .

2. Legal Basis: IRPR Section 207.1

The vulnerable-worker open work permit is not merely an administrative program created through IRCC guidance.

Its legal authority is found in section 207.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Under subsection 207.1(1), a work permit may be issued to a foreign national in Canada where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person:

• is experiencing abuse in the context of their employment in Canada; or
• is at risk of experiencing abuse in the context of their employment in Canada.

The worker must also fall within one of the qualifying employer-specific work permit situations set out in the Regulation.

Subsection 207.1(2) separately permits issuance of a work permit to qualifying family members in Canada.

3. Who Can Apply for a Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit?

Under the current rules, the worker must be in Canada.

The applicant must also be experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse in relation to their employment in Canada and satisfy the applicable work permit requirement.

IRCC currently identifies two principal situations.

Valid employer-specific work permit

The worker holds a valid employer-specific work permit that identifies the employer.

Employer-specific permit expired after a timely renewal application

The worker previously held the qualifying employer-specific work permit, applied to renew it before expiry and remains authorized to work in Canada under the maintained-status provisions.

These requirements reflect the wording of IRPR section 207.1.

4. You Must Be in Canada to Apply

The vulnerable-worker open work permit is an in-Canada remedy.

IRPR section 207.1 applies to a foreign national who is in Canada, and IRCC's current instructions expressly state that the worker cannot apply for this permit at a port of entry.

A person outside Canada therefore cannot obtain an OWP-V simply because they previously experienced abuse while working in Canada.

Their immigration options would need to be assessed under the ordinary work permit or other applicable immigration provisions.

5. Why an Employer-Specific Work Permit Matters

The OWP-V is designed principally to address the vulnerability that can arise when a worker's immigration authorization is tied to one employer.

An employer-specific work permit can contain conditions concerning:

• the employer;
• the occupation;
• the location of employment;
• the period of employment; and
• other authorized conditions.

Without another immigration mechanism, leaving the employer can therefore mean that the worker no longer has authorization to work elsewhere.

The vulnerable-worker permit addresses this problem by providing qualifying workers with temporary open work authorization.

For the underlying permit structure, see the Employer-Specific Work Permit Canada guide .

6. What Does the Vulnerable Worker Open Permit Allow?

If approved, the worker receives an open work permit rather than another permit tied to the abusive employer.

An open work permit generally allows the worker to work for different eligible employers in Canada without obtaining a new employer-specific work permit for each employer.

However, an open work permit is not completely unrestricted.

The worker generally cannot work for an employer that:

• appears on IRCC's list of employers who are ineligible because of non-compliance; or
• regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

Medical restrictions may also apply to certain occupations where the worker has not completed the required immigration medical examination.

See the Open Work Permit Canada guide .

7. What Counts as Abuse Under Canadian Immigration Law?

Abuse has a specific regulatory meaning for this work permit.

Under IRPR section 196.2, abuse includes:

• physical abuse, including assault and forcible confinement;
• sexual abuse, including sexual contact without consent;
• psychological abuse, including threats and intimidation;
• financial abuse, including fraud and extortion; and
• reprisals.

Abuse is therefore not limited to physical violence.

Employment-related control, intimidation, financial exploitation and qualifying retaliation can all be legally relevant.

8. Physical Abuse and Unsafe Work

Physical abuse can include direct physical harm, assault or forcible confinement.

IRCC and ESDC also identify employment situations involving serious safety concerns as potentially relevant evidence of abuse.

Examples can include:

• physical violence;
• threatened physical violence;
• preventing a worker from leaving;
• forcing a worker to perform work in an unsafe way;
• requiring work that creates unreasonable health or safety risks; or
• unsafe or unsanitary employer-provided accommodation.

The facts must be considered in their full employment context rather than by relying only on the employer's characterization of the incident.

9. Sexual Abuse and Harassment

Sexual abuse under the Regulations includes sexual contact without consent.

Relevant workplace conduct can also include:

• unwanted sexual touching;
• unwanted sexual comments;
• sexual coercion;
• demands for sexual favours connected to employment; or
• threats affecting continued employment connected to sexual conduct.

A worker should provide whatever evidence is reasonably available, but the application process recognizes that abuse can be difficult to document.

10. Psychological Abuse, Threats and Control

Psychological abuse expressly falls within the regulatory definition of abuse.

Examples can include:

• threats;
• intimidation;
• persistent bullying;
• serious insults or humiliation;
• threatening the worker's immigration status;
• controlling where the worker can go;
• isolating the worker from friends or co-workers; or
• withholding passports, permits or other identification as a means of control.

A worker does not need to show physical injury before psychological abuse can be relevant to an OWP-V application.

11. Financial Abuse and Wage Exploitation

Financial abuse is expressly recognized under IRPR section 196.2 and includes fraud and extortion.

Depending on the circumstances, relevant conduct can include:

• taking wages owed to the worker;
• stealing money from the worker;
• fraudulent deductions or financial demands;
• extortion;
• coercing the worker to return wages;
• forcing the worker to participate in fraud; or
• a third party charging prohibited fees for a job or making fraudulent employment promises.

Pay records, bank statements, messages and employment records can therefore be important evidence.

12. Reprisals for Reporting Employer Non-Compliance

Canadian immigration regulations expressly include certain reprisals within the definition of abuse.

A reprisal can arise where an employer or someone acting on the employer's behalf takes action that adversely affects the worker's employment or working conditions because the worker:

• reported employer non-compliance; or
• cooperated in good faith with an employer compliance inspection.

The Regulations identify examples including:

• disciplinary measures;
• demotion;
• dismissal; or
• threats to impose one of those measures.

13. What Does “At Risk of Abuse” Mean?

The worker does not have to establish that abuse is currently occurring at the exact moment the application is submitted.

IRPR section 207.1 also covers a worker where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the worker is at risk of experiencing abuse.

This is important where a worker has already escaped or temporarily left an abusive employment situation.

A worker may still be at risk if returning to the employment would expose them to abuse.

Risk may also arise in circumstances where abuse affecting other workers creates a credible risk to the applicant.

The application should explain the factual basis for the claimed risk rather than assuming that the officer will infer it from the employment relationship alone.

14. What Does “Reasonable Grounds to Believe” Require?

Section 207.1 does not require the worker to obtain a criminal conviction, civil judgment or final employment standards decision before an OWP-V can be issued.

The regulatory question is whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the worker is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing abuse in the context of employment in Canada.

The application should therefore present:

• a clear factual narrative;
• the relationship between the conduct and the employment;
• the nature of the abuse or risk;
• relevant chronology; and
• supporting evidence that is reasonably available.

The assessment is immigration-specific and does not require the worker to first succeed in a separate criminal, civil or employment proceeding.

15. Can You Apply After Leaving the Abusive Employer?

Potentially, yes.

The vulnerable-worker framework is not designed to force a person to remain in an abusive workplace merely to preserve eligibility.

A worker who has already left may still qualify where:

• the applicable work permit requirements are satisfied; and
• there are reasonable grounds to believe that the worker experienced or remains at risk of abuse in the context contemplated by the Regulations.

The chronology should be clearly explained, including when the worker stopped working, why they left and what risk would exist if they had to return.

16. Vulnerable Workers on Maintained Status

Section 207.1 also protects certain workers whose employer-specific permit has expired.

A worker can potentially qualify where they:

• previously held the qualifying employer-specific work permit;
• applied to renew that permit before it expired; and
• remain authorized to work under paragraph 186(u) of the Regulations.

This is commonly described as maintained-status work authorization.

The precise application history and timing of the renewal should be documented.

For a detailed explanation of maintained status, see Canada Work Permit Extension .

17. Evidence for a Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit

IRCC encourages applicants to provide as much evidence of the abuse or risk of abuse as they reasonably can.

Examples identified by IRCC include:

• a letter, statement or report from an abuse support organization;
• evidence from a doctor or health care professional;
• the worker's own sworn statement or affidavit;
• police or Canada Border Services Agency reports;
• complaints to a provincial employment standards authority;
• victim impact statements;
• emails;
• text messages;
• pay stubs;
• bank statements;
• photographs of injuries or working conditions;
• witness evidence; and
• relevant passport and immigration records.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Evidence should be selected because it helps establish the actual facts of the case, not simply because it appears on a generic checklist.

18. Do You Need a Police Report to Apply?

A police report can be useful evidence, but IRCC does not identify a police report as a mandatory prerequisite for every OWP-V application.

This distinction matters because many forms of employment-related abuse may not have resulted in a police complaint.

Depending on the facts, the application may rely on a combination of:

• the worker's detailed statement;
• employment records;
• messages;
• financial evidence;
• medical evidence;
• witness evidence;
• agency complaints; and
• other corroborating material.

The evidentiary record should be assessed as a whole.

19. Letter of Explanation and IMM 0017

IRCC currently encourages vulnerable-worker applicants to use:

IMM 0017 — Letter of Explanation: Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers

The explanation should provide a coherent account of:

• the worker's employment;
• the relevant employer;
• what occurred;
• when it occurred;
• who was involved in the conduct;
• why the conduct constitutes abuse or creates a risk of abuse;
• whether the worker remains employed or has left; and
• how the supporting evidence relates to the allegations.

IRCC also recommends including a table of contents for the submissions and supporting evidence.

20. How to Organize the Evidence

A vulnerable-worker application can involve many different forms of evidence.

IRCC's current online process provides one Client Information field for the abuse evidence. The supporting material therefore generally needs to be combined into a single upload.

A practical evidence package can be organized as:

1. table of contents;
2. IMM 0017 or detailed explanation;
3. worker statement or affidavit;
4. employment records;
5. communications;
6. financial records;
7. medical, police, agency or support-service evidence where available;
8. witness material;
9. photographs or other documentary evidence;
10. immigration documents; and
11. translations where required.

The package should make it easy for the officer to understand the chronology and connect each exhibit to the allegation it supports.

21. Translation Requirements

Supporting evidence that is not in English or French must comply with IRCC's translation requirements.

IRCC's current vulnerable-worker instructions distinguish between translations completed by a certified translator and those completed by a non-certified translator.

Depending on the circumstances, the package may require:

• the translated document;
• a copy of the original document;
• appropriate translator certification; or
• an affidavit from the translator where required.

Family members and representatives involved in the application cannot simply act as translators where IRCC's rules prohibit it.

Translation deficiencies can unnecessarily weaken or delay an otherwise urgent application.

22. How to Apply for a Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit

IRCC currently requires the vulnerable-worker application to be made online, subject to limited exceptions for applicants who cannot use the online process.

The worker should:

1. confirm that the OWP-V eligibility requirements are met;
2. prepare the application and supporting evidence;
3. prepare the explanation of the abuse or risk of abuse;
4. sign in to or create the appropriate IRCC online account;
5. answer the online eligibility questions for the vulnerable-worker category;
6. complete the required work permit application forms;
7. upload the evidence package; and
8. submit the application online.

For the general work permit application framework, see How to Apply for a Work Permit in Canada .

23. Is There a Fee for a Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit?

No.

Under IRCC's current fee rules, vulnerable workers are exempt from:

• the work permit processing fee; and
• the open work permit holder fee.

The applicant should follow the fee-exemption instructions in the online application rather than paying the standard open work permit fees.

For the broader Canadian work permit fee framework, see Canada Work Permit Fees and Biometrics .

24. Biometrics for Vulnerable Worker Applications

IRCC's current vulnerable-worker application process contains a special facilitation concerning biometrics.

IRCC states that it will not ask the applicant to provide biometrics when the vulnerable-worker application is initially submitted.

If an officer later determines that biometrics are required, IRCC will contact the applicant and provide instructions.

Applicants who have not previously provided biometrics are currently instructed to identify themselves as fee-exempt when answering the relevant online questions for this application.

25. What Happens After You Apply?

After IRCC receives the application, an officer assesses the worker's eligibility and the evidence concerning abuse or risk of abuse.

IRCC may:

• decide the application based on the submitted record;
• request additional information;
• request additional documents; or
• ask the worker to attend an interview.

Because the permit is intended as a protection mechanism for vulnerable workers, IRCC treats these applications as requiring expedited attention.

Applicants should nevertheless ensure that their contact information remains current so that an urgent request from IRCC is not missed.

26. How Long Is a Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit Valid?

The OWP-V is intended as a temporary solution, not as a permanent open work permit category.

IRCC states that the permit:

• has an expiry date; and
• cannot be renewed as another vulnerable-worker open work permit.

Its purpose is to provide the worker with enough time to:

• leave the abusive employment;
• find another employer; and
• apply for another work permit where required.

27. What Work Permit Comes After an OWP-V?

The next work permit depends on the worker's new employment and immigration circumstances.

Possible routes can include:

• an employer-specific work permit supported by a new LMIA;
• an employer-specific LMIA-exempt work permit;
• another open work permit category for which the person independently qualifies; or
• another immigration pathway that provides work authorization.

The OWP-V itself does not exempt the next employer from the LMIA or employer-compliance requirements that would ordinarily apply to the next employer-specific work permit.

See the LMIA Work Permit Canada guide and the LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Canada guide .

28. Open Work Permits for Family Members of Vulnerable Workers

Canadian immigration regulations also contain a provision for family members of vulnerable workers.

Under IRPR subsection 207.1(2), a work permit may be issued to a foreign national in Canada who is a family member of a person described in the vulnerable-worker provision.

IRCC currently states that family members who came with the worker to Canada may also be eligible for an open work permit if the vulnerable worker's application is approved.

Family members must submit their own work permit applications, although they may submit them together with the vulnerable worker's application.

Family eligibility should be assessed under the specific vulnerable-worker provision rather than assumed from the ordinary spousal open work permit rules.

For the broader family OWP framework, see Spousal Open Work Permit Canada .

29. Can IRCC or ESDC Inspect the Employer After Approval?

Yes.

After an OWP-V is approved, the employer may be subject to a compliance inspection.

Employer inspections can examine whether an employer complied with the conditions imposed by Canada's temporary foreign worker compliance framework.

These conditions include obligations concerning:

• employment;
• wages;
• working conditions;
• employment and recruitment laws; and
• reasonable efforts to provide a workplace free of abuse.

An immigration decision protecting the worker and an employer-compliance investigation are related but distinct processes.

30. Does the Worker Have to Participate in the Employer Inspection?

IRCC may contact a worker after the vulnerable worker permit is approved and ask for additional information that could assist an employer inspection.

However, IRCC's current instructions expressly state that the worker does not have to provide that additional information.

The choice belongs to the worker.

This is important because the worker-protection purpose of the OWP-V should not be confused with an obligation to become an enforcement witness after receiving the permit.

31. How to Report Abuse of a Temporary Foreign Worker

The OWP-V application and an employer-abuse report are separate processes.

Temporary foreign worker abuse can be reported to Service Canada.

Examples of reportable concerns identified by ESDC include:

• threats or bullying;
• physical or other abuse;
• threats involving the worker's immigration status;
• restrictions preventing the worker from leaving the workplace or accommodation;
• withholding a passport or immigration documents;
• unsafe work;
• wage violations; and
• other employer non-compliance.

A worker does not necessarily need to wait for the outcome of an employer-compliance complaint before applying for the vulnerable-worker permit.

32. OWP-V vs the Regular Changing-Employer Process

The vulnerable-worker permit should be distinguished from IRCC's ordinary process for an employer-specific work permit holder who wants to change employers.

The OWP-V does not require the worker to first obtain a new employer and submit a new employer-specific work permit application.

For the ordinary employer-change process, see Change Employer on a Work Permit in Canada .

33. Employer Obligations to Provide a Workplace Free of Abuse

Canada's employer-compliance rules impose obligations on employers who hire temporary foreign workers.

For employers subject to the International Mobility Program compliance regime, IRPR section 209.2 includes a requirement to make reasonable efforts to provide a workplace that is free of abuse.

Comparable worker-protection obligations apply within Canada's temporary foreign worker compliance framework.

Employers must also comply with applicable federal and provincial employment and recruitment laws.

The fact that a foreign worker's immigration status depends on employment does not permit an employer to ignore Canadian workplace laws or immigration compliance requirements.

34. Can an Employer Threaten a Worker’s Immigration Status?

Threats involving immigration status can form part of the evidence of psychological abuse or coercive control.

An employer does not personally decide whether a foreign national may remain in Canada.

Immigration status and work authorization are governed by Canadian immigration law and administered by the responsible federal authorities.

Evidence that an employer used immigration status to intimidate, control or isolate a worker should therefore be preserved and assessed in the context of the OWP-V application.

35. What if the Employer Keeps the Worker’s Passport or Work Permit?

ESDC identifies taking and refusing to return a worker's passport, work permit or other identification as an example of abusive conduct.

If documents are being withheld, relevant evidence can include:

• messages requesting their return;
• responses from the employer;
• witness statements;
• police or agency reports, where made; and
• the worker's detailed account of what occurred.

A worker should not assume that the absence of the physical permit prevents them from seeking immigration protection. The circumstances should be explained and available copies or electronic records provided.

36. Common Vulnerable Worker Open Permit Mistakes

Assuming abuse must be physical

The regulatory definition also includes sexual, psychological and financial abuse and reprisals.

Waiting until the abuse becomes worse

The Regulations also cover workers who are at risk of experiencing abuse.

Assuming you must still work for the abusive employer

A worker who has already left can potentially qualify if the regulatory requirements are met.

Believing a police report is mandatory

A police report can be useful but is only one of many forms of evidence identified by IRCC.

Providing allegations without chronology

The officer should be able to understand what happened, when it happened, who was involved and how the evidence supports the allegations.

Paying the normal open work permit fees

Vulnerable workers are currently exempt from both the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee.

Trying to apply at the border

This is an in-Canada application and cannot be made at a port of entry.

Treating the OWP-V as renewable indefinitely

IRCC expressly states that this temporary permit cannot be renewed as another vulnerable-worker permit.

Waiting too long to plan the next permit

A worker who intends to continue working in Canada should identify the next work permit route before the OWP-V expires.

37. Vulnerable Worker Open Work Permit Checklist

38. Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers FAQs

What is an open work permit for vulnerable workers?

It is a temporary open work permit available to certain foreign workers in Canada where there are reasonable grounds to believe they are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing abuse in relation to their employment.

What law creates the vulnerable worker permit?

The principal legal authority is section 207.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Do I need an employer-specific work permit?

The worker must generally hold the qualifying employer-specific work permit or fall within the specific maintained-status situation described in IRPR section 207.1.

Can I apply from outside Canada?

No. The vulnerable-worker provision applies to a foreign national in Canada.

Can I apply at the Canadian border?

No. IRCC expressly states that this work permit cannot be applied for at a port of entry.

Does the abuse have to be physical?

No. The Regulations recognize physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse as well as reprisals.

Can threats count as abuse?

Yes. Psychological abuse expressly includes threats and intimidation.

Can unpaid or taken wages count as abuse?

Financial exploitation can be relevant. Financial abuse under the Regulations includes fraud and extortion, and IRCC identifies taking some or all of a worker's pay as an example of abusive conduct.

Can retaliation for reporting my employer count as abuse?

Yes. Qualifying reprisals are expressly included within the regulatory definition of abuse.

Do I have to wait until abuse actually happens?

No. Section 207.1 also applies where there are reasonable grounds to believe the worker is at risk of experiencing abuse.

Can I apply if I already left the employer?

Potentially. A worker does not necessarily lose eligibility merely because they have left the abusive workplace. The regulatory work permit and abuse or risk-of-abuse requirements must still be met.

Do I need a police report?

Not necessarily. IRCC identifies police reports as one possible form of evidence, along with statements, affidavits, messages, financial records, medical evidence, photographs, witness evidence and other relevant material.

Do I need to prove my employer was convicted of abuse?

No. The immigration test is whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the worker is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing abuse in the employment context.

Is there a fee for the vulnerable worker permit?

No. Vulnerable workers are currently exempt from both the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee.

Do I need biometrics when I submit the application?

IRCC currently states that vulnerable-worker applicants will not be asked to provide biometrics when they initially apply. If an officer later determines biometrics are required, IRCC will provide instructions.

Can my spouse or family members get an open work permit?

Family members who came with the vulnerable worker to Canada may also be eligible for open work permits if the principal vulnerable-worker application is approved. They must submit their own applications.

Can I renew the vulnerable worker open work permit?

No. IRCC states that the OWP-V is a temporary solution and cannot be renewed as another vulnerable-worker permit.

What should I do before the OWP-V expires?

If you want to continue working in Canada, you should identify and apply for another work permit for which you qualify before the vulnerable worker permit expires.

Will my employer be investigated if I receive an OWP-V?

The employer may be subject to a compliance inspection after the permit is approved.

Must I participate in an employer inspection after approval?

IRCC may ask for additional information, but its current instructions state that providing that information for the inspection is the worker's choice.

Is an OWP-V the same as changing employers through PPCHANGEWORK2020?

No. The vulnerable-worker permit is a protection mechanism for workers experiencing or at risk of abuse. The changing-employer process generally concerns eligible workers who have already submitted a new employer-specific work permit application and want authorization to begin the new employment sooner.