The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) is an organization for and by migrants. We are uniting to win rights at work and immigration justice.
By becoming a member, you will learn more about your rights as a worker, have access to support, build your leadership skills and be part of our movement to ensure rights and justice for all. Members participate in monthly meetings, as well as online and in-person activities and become part of a supportive community of workers & friends.
Members believe in building our collective power and being in solidarity with workers speaking up for justice anywhere in the world. See below for the list of responsibilities and benefits of becoming a member!
Membership Form
Member Responsibilities
Attend at least 6 out of 12 meetings per year (either in-person or online);
Receive regular communication and respond to them
Participate in regular trainings, events and activities;
Outreach to other workers, and invite them to be part of our movement; and
Represent the collective voice of migrants and Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
Member Benefits
You join a community of migrant leaders fighting for change;
Get invited to special events and receive support from others in a similar situation;
Opportunities to speak to elected officials, decision-makers and the media;
Get priority support (attention) if you are facing problem or if you are being treated unfairly;
Get free workshops and training on topics such as workplace rights; immigration issues; taxes and Employment Insurance; accessing health care and social support systems; and collective organizing 101.
En la Alianza de Trabajador@s Migrantes por un Cambio luchamos por la dignidad y la justicia migrante, esto incluye unidad familiar, mejores condiciones en el trabajo y la vivienda e igualdad de derechos. Hemos creado este cuestionario para Trabajador@s del Sector de Mariscos, para que comparta como le fue en la temporada de el 2023 y si tiene pedido la siguiente en el 2024. Por ejemplo: ¿Le regresaron antes de que termine su contrato? ¿Trabajo menos horas este año?
¡Merecen un trato justo, seguridad laboral e igualdad de derechos!
¿Está de acuerdo?
Complete este formulario para compartir su historia y aprender cómo podemos lograr el cambio juntos. Todo lo que comparta es privado y confidencial.
Every year, migrant farm and fishery workers face a grave injustice – tens of thousands of dollars in wages stolen by bad bosses. Trapped in a system of indentureship where speaking up means risking homelessness, poverty, deportation, and a ban from returning, workers rarely fight back. When they do – they are often denied their rights because they don’t have “evidence”.
Our Solution: Worker Rights Hand Book
We’re launching a Worker Rights Handbook and Video Series for migrants to know their rights, and gather evidence of exploitation.
Where your contribution will go
Legal Consultation: Ensuring workers have the best legal support when they speak up.
Video Development: Creating informative and empowering content,
Handbook Design: A comprehensive way to learn rights and track hours and wages.
Translation: Making our handbook available in many languages.
Distribution: Directly to migrants workers in farms and fish plants in rural communities across Canada.
Every dollar matters
$20,000: We will create and distribute the handbook with videos in English and Spanish to over 4,000 workers.
$40,000: We will add Thai, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Indigenous languages, and create additional videos.
$60,000: We will turn the handbook into an app that workers can use to gather evidence, learn their rights and connect with others.
To contribute
Via credit card: On this page
Interac: info@migrantworkersalliance.org
Cheque: Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, 720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 223, Toronto, ON M5S 2T9
You can use the answers below to be inspired or you can copy and paste in the Federal government survey.
Section 1
Questions 1 to 5
These first five questions are personal questions such as: Have you ever been a temporary foreign worker in Canada? The year you worked in Canada, the type of job you did, and where you worked (province and city).
Section 2
Question 6
Asks you if you are in a union.
Section 3
Questions 7 to 24
In this section you will find questions about your experiences in Canada, such as infomation about your rights as a migrant worker you know, where did you find said information. Were you able to exercise your rights, living and working conditions, send a report to ESDC, open work permit for vulnerable workers.
Remember to think of your worst experience in Canada when answering these questions. When you find a box use that opportunity to say why you want permanent resident status because it protects you from exploitation. Give examples of where you were mistreated.
Section 4
Questions 25 to 35
This section asks demographic information such as level of education, country of origin, language you speak, gender. Please respond acordingly.
Section 5
Question 36 to 39
This part is about your interest in coming back to Canada, and if you would apply for Permanent Residency.
Use this section to reiterate why you want permanent residency for all and why you cannot apply, because there are no access to PR for some groups of migrant workers such as Farmworkers.
Section 6
Send the survey – This is where you will find the Submit button for the survey.
Let’s unite together and make sure Canada does the right thing and grants Permanent Status For All – including people without papers and those who arrive in the future. Sign the petition
Do you want to stay informed about upcoming changes, events, and actions send us a WhatsApp message now and save our number in your phone contacts (This is a private and confidential list, and will not risk your job or status in any way):
Farmworkers (ENG): 905-324-2840
Trabajadores Agrícolas: 647-807-4722
Care workers: 647-782-6633
Fishery workers (English and Spanish): 506-251-7467
Migrant Welcome UN Slavery Rapporteur Call for Permanent Resident Status for All
Toronto, September 6, 2023 – The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) welcomes the statement in Ottawa from United Nations Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Professor Tomoya Obokata today in which he called for “paths to longterm or permanent residency be open to all migrant workers”.
The UN Rapporteur was in Canada on a country mission where he met with migrants including 40 members of (MWAC), Indigenous people, people with disability and incarcerated people, persons of African descent and other groups facing exploitation. In his End of Mission press conference today, Professor Obokata said that was “disturbed” that “certain categories of migrant workers are made vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery in Canada by the policies that regulate their immigration status, employment, and housing in Canada, and he is particularly concerned that this workforce is disproportionately racialized, attesting to deep-rooted racism and xenophobia entrenched in Canada’s immigration system”.
He also reiterated that “Newcomers who enter Canada outside of TFWP experience similar precarity. International students who work in excess of the permitted 20 hours per week, asylum-seekers awaiting their work permits, undocumented migrant workers, and those that have lost status are vulnerable to many of the same abusive practices, as they may not report abuses for fear of deportation. Employers who are aware of their status may exploit them under threat of denouncing them to immigration authorities.”
The UN Rapporteur also echoed a call for regularization of all undocumented people, a call that was also made in June 2023 by the UN Rapporteur on Migration.
“The United Nations Rapporteur has yet again stated what we all know, and migrants have been saying for decades – a two-tier system of immigration where over 1.2 million new temporary permits are being issued each year breeds exploitation, exclusion and violence. All migrants, including undocumented people, migrant students, workers and refugees, must have permanent resident status to protect themselves and ensure a fair society,” said Syed Hussan, executive director, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
Prime Minister Trudeau promised regularization of undocumented people and permanent resident status for migrant students, workers and families in a mandate letter commitment in December 2021, 20 months later, migrants continue to suffer.
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is a migrant-led, membership based organization of farmworkers, fishery workers, careworkers, undocumented people and current and former international students uniting for immigration and labour justice.
Do you agree that all migrants deserve to be together with your family and loved ones? Join us on Sunday, September 10 at 4pm (Toronto time) to learn about current immigration rules that keep us apart – and how farm and fishery workers are uniting together to win change to unfair laws!
Many migrant workers were forced to leave the country on August 26 for trying to organize for their rights. They’ve been in the country since April but have not been working and are starving. Read their story below and add your name to send a message.
Es el último recurso para trabajador@s quienes tienen un permiso cerrado (con empleador específico) y quienes están en riesgo de abuso o están experimentando abuso con el empleador con el cual tienen un contrato vigente.
L@s trabajador@s pueden aplicar mientras siguen trabajando y también cuando ya han dejado la granja o lugar de trabajo. (Por favor recuerde, entre más pronto aplique después de dejar a su empleador será mejor ya que migración de Canada puede cuestionar el porque no aplico antes)
¿Cómo le podemos apoyar en el proceso?
Necesita escribir una narrativa, esta es una carta explicando con todos los detalles posibles (incluyendo quien, cuando, donde, como). Mientras más detalles es mejor, necesita explicarle al oficial de migración que va a revisar su caso y quien quizá no va a estar familiarizad@ con las condiciones en las fincas o lugar de trabajo por lo tanto es importante dar detalles y expresar sus sentimientos en esta carta. Use expresiones como: me sienti triste, enojado, decepcionado, etc)
Proveer evidencia: Necesitamos por lo menos 3 piezas de evidencia las cuales pueden incluir, fotos de usted trabajando, copia de su contrato, talones de pago, fotos de las condiciones de trabajo o videos cortos (preferiblemente de 1 minuto o menos), notas médicas, mensajes de texto con el empleador, recursos humanos o supervisores, cartas de apoyo de testigos como amig@s, conocid@s, cualquier evidencia que apoye los detalles de su narrativa.
Necesita proveer los siguientes documentos:
Copia de su permiso vigente (si su permiso está vencido no son podra aplicar)
Copia de pasaporte y visa (el pasaporte necesita ser válido por los menos 1 año, si es menos, recomendamos que lo renueve antes de aplicar) pero si su situación es urgente y necesita dejar a su empleador, puede aplicar, en este caso si le aprueban el permiso, solo será otorgado por los meses que le queden en su pasaporte)
Un correo electrónico activo y la hora que está disponible para una llamada.
¿Cuánto tiempo toma el proceso?
El proceso puede tomar entre 1-3 meses dependiendo de varios factores incluyendo si su narrativa y documentos de apoyo necesitan ser traducidos.
Su habilidad para proveer documentación y darle seguimiento a su caso.
Si la organización a quien le referimos tiene una lista de espera o no.
Cosas importantes de considerar antes de aplicar:
Probablemente ya no podrá participar en el programa de trabajador@s agrícolas de su país (PTAT) ya que su consulado probablemente diga que usted incumplió su contrato porque dejó a su empleador. Esto no es justo y muchos migrantes como usted están luchando para encontrar soluciones a estas reglas injustas. Si quiere saber más de cómo puede unirse, déjenos saber a un organizador y le dara seguimiento.
Necesita tener un plan si va a dejar a su empleador, NO podemos ayudarle a encontrar casa y encontrar casa podría ser difícil y costoso.
Asegúrese de tener dinero ahorrado si decide dejar a su empleador para que pueda solventar gastos mientras espera que el permiso sea procesado.
Tenga un plan B en caso que su permiso sea negado.
El permiso abierto le permitirá encontrar otr@ empleador. Ya no será parte de un programa que lo conectará con empleador@s.
Considere que usted tendrá que buscar empleo sol@. Hay agencias que le podrían ayudar, pero la Alianza de Trabajador@s Migrantes por un Cambio (MWAC) NO le ayudamos a buscar trabajo.
Si ha leído este documento y piensa que califica para el permiso abierto para trabajadores vulnerables,
Trabajadores Agricolas 647-807-4722
Trabajadores en Planta procesadora de Mariscos 506 251 7467
Mandar un mensaje que diga “Permiso Abierto”, su nombre completo, ciudad donde se encuentra, y nosotr@s le contactaremos después del 5 de septiembre.
This information is up to date as for June 27, 2023. Please check back for updates
What was announced? Temporary foreign workers with a “work permit” (see below for who may be excluded) that is valid on June 7, 2023, or temporary foreign workers with an expired work permit but who applied for an extension June 7, 2023, may be able to study for up to three years without a study permit.
What changed exactly? Until now, if you were on a work permit, you could only study for a course of up to 6 months. For courses longer than 6 months, you would have to apply for a study permit. Now you will be able to study without a study permit until your work permit expires.
Does this change apply to refugees, post-graduate work permit holders or humanitarian applicants with valid work permits? It is not clear at this time. Please fill in your information below and we will let you know when more information is provided by the federal government.
Can I study full-time? Yes, you are allowed to study full time.
But the work experience you get while studying full time cannot be used for future immigration applications under Express Entry programs. If you study part-time, you will be able to count the full time work for your Express Entry applications.
If you are applying under the HCCP or HSWP or for the Agri-Food Immigraiton Pilot, it is not clear if you can count work while you are studying full time (but you can count work while you are studying part time). Please fill in your information below and we will let you know when more information is provided by the federal government.
What is part-time study? Schools have different definitions. Usually anything less than 4 or 5 courses per semester is considered part-time. Check with the school before enrolling.
Can I start a full-year course if my work permit expires during the course? We don’t know if you can start a course in September for one year (until September 2024), if your work permit expires in the middle (for example in November 2023). Please fill in your information below and we will let you know when more information is provided by the federal government.
Can I get accreditation for high-school equivalency or one-year post-secondary education in this way without applying for a study permit? It is possible. However, you must make sure that the school you are applying to will provide you a certification that you can use. You must make sure that you choose part-time or full-time based on whether you need to count the work experience, and when your work permit expires.
Can I study online? Yes, you can study online.
For Post-Secondary education: The post-secondary education must be a “Designated Learning Institute”. Check here to see if the school is registered. Be careful, there are many “private colleges” that are not listed so make sure you check this list even if the school is large and you know other people that attend.
For high-school accreditation: Make sure it is a provincial organization. For example, in Ontario, click here.
Do I have to pay international tuition fees? Yes, you will have to pay international tuition fees, which is 3-4 times higher than domestic tuition fees.
What are the requirements to enroll at a college or university or to get a high school diploma? Every college and university has different requirements. You should read their websites carefully to apply. Only trust the information that you read yourself. Do not trust the advice of education agents without checking yourself.
