FAQ heading: Former Farmworkers

Everybody deserves healthcare, but unfortunately the current system can make it difficult to access if you don’t have provincial health insurance like OHIP. That’s why we’re uniting together to fight for permanent status for all, so that everyone can get the care they deserve.

Community Health Centres (CHCs) provide healthcare for people without insurance and immigration status. For a list of CHCs in Ontario, press this link. If you need help finding healthcare in your area, contact us for assistance. Everything you share is private and confidential.

Even if you’re working without a valid work permit or Social Insurance Number (SIN), you still have rights! This includes human rights, health & safety, employment standards, and Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB).

You have the right to:

• Get paid for all the hours you work
• Be paid at least minimum wage

Without status, it can feel scary to stand up for our rights. That’s why we’re uniting together to protect ourselves and fight for permanent resident status for all!

There is safety in numbers. If you’re being mistreated or cheated at work, you’re not alone! Get in touch with us for support and send a WhatsApp message to Kit at 905-324-2840.

Tips for Protecting Yourself at Work

• Keep documents to help show what wages you are owed, including:
  • What you were paid and when
  • The hours you worked
  • The dates you worked
  • Where you worked and what you did each day
• Keep records or take pictures of all your employment documents, including:
  • Any papers you sign
  • Your pay statements
  • Cheques you received
  • Any communications (texts, emails, WhatsApp messages) that you have with your boss or supervisor
• Your boss may ask for an address. If you do not feel safe providing your home address, you can provide a different address where you can safely pick up your mail.

Getting cheated at work? Get in touch for support: 905-324-2840.

Expiring soon

If you are on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) for 8 months or less, your work permit expires on December 15 every year (check your work permit if you’re unsure). It is legal for you to stay in Canada until this date.

If you have a valid work permit (not expired) and want to stay in Canada longer you have 3 options:

1. Apply for a visitor visa
   • Tap here for more information about how to apply
   • You should apply for this visa at least 2 months before your work permit expires.
2. Apply for a work permit extension
   • You must apply to extend your work permit at least 30 days before it expires. That means, if your permit expires on December 15, you must apply before November 15.
   • Tap here for more information about what you need to do to apply.
   • Most importantly, you must have a job offer from an employer with a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) – this means they have permission from the Canadian government to hire you as a migrant worker. Your employer must complete all the required steps (tap here for a link to employer requirements).
3. Apply for spousal sponsorship
   • You can be sponsored in Canada by a common-law partner or married partner for permanent residence, even if you lost status
   • [Tap this link for a video to learn more.]

These options aren’t good enough! We are uniting to take action and win changes to unfair immigration rules – tap this link to take action with us.

Expired Permit

If you have an expired work permit, you have 3 options:

1. Restore your status
   • You only have 90 days after your permit expires to apply for restoration. [Tap this link for a video to learn more.]
   • Processing and restoration fees are over $450
   • For many of us, 90 days have already passed since we lost status and we’re ineligible for restoration. That’s not fair! Keep reading to learn more about your options.
2. Apply for spousal sponsorship
   • You can be sponsored in Canada by a common-law partner or married partner for permanent residence, even if you lost status
   • [Tap this link for a video to learn more.]
3. Humanitarian & Compassionate (H&C) application
   • If you lost status, you may be able to apply for H&C if you can prove there are exceptional reasons you should be granted permanent resident status and you can’t access any other program
   • You must be able to prove that you have established a life in Canada, and more
   • Processing fee is $550
   • [Tap this link for a guide to applying for H&C]

If you are not able to apply for these options, you are not alone. We are uniting to take action and win changes to unfair immigration rules – join us!

Take action

• Use + share the email tool to win permanent status for all undocumented migrants, including people like you with expired permits. Tap here to take action and send a message to PM Trudeau
• Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is led by migrants like you! Interested in becoming a member?
  • Send a WhatsApp message to Kit at 905-324-2840