You deserve to be together with your family – all migrants do! Sadly, the Canadian government keeps us separated by denying us permanent resident status. One way the government promises to unite migrant families is through measures like open work permits for family members.
What is the Family Open Work Permit?
For years, migrant workers like you have been speaking up and taking action together about family unity. In 2022 the Canadian government was pressured to allow more spouses and adult children dependents of some migrant workers to get open work permits in the country. (Read the government announcement here.)
This expanded government measure has 3 phases:
- Phase 1 started January 30, 2023 which is for family members of workers in the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program. Farm workers are excluded.
- Phase 2 will expand to family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, after consultations with bosses. This phase will still exclude farm workers.
- Phase 3 is consultations with bosses in the agricultural industry to see if including family members of farm workers will benefit them and their business. It is not guaranteed that farm workers will be included after the consultations.
You can see how farm workers are shut out at every phase, this isn’t fair! That’s why we’re uniting together to take action and win change to the unfair system. Join us: Send a WhatsApp message to 905-324-2840 for more information about how you can make a change with us.
Who can apply?
- Family members of workers in high-wage streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program
Not sure if your job qualifies as high-wage? You must be earning what’s called the “median hourly wage” or higher, which depends on what province in Canada you work.
Current wages for farmworkers in Canada are as low as $13/hour and we deserve so much more! That’s why we’re also fighting for higher wages, so our families will have more opportunities.
Do you agree that your family deserves more? Send a WhatsApp message to us at 905-324-2840 to learn how you can join our fight to win a better life!
Who cannot apply?
- Farm workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the Agricultural Stream (Ag-Stream) of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program
- Fishery workers who are not in the high-wage stream
- Any migrant worker in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program who is paid low wages
- Migrants with Open Work Permits for Vulnerable Workers who are paid low wages
- Migrants with work permits who are also refugee claimants or H&C applicants
- Migrants without papers/immigration status
To read the full requirements, tap this link: migrantworkersalliance.org/familyworkpermit
So many people are shut out of this measure, it’s not fair.
That’s why migrant workers are uniting together to take action and win change, including permanent resident status for all, so that we can all be together with our families!
