How to Get Help

Legal Help

MWC provides free (pro bono) legal advocacy services to migrant workers.

Our services are available by appointment Monday to Saturday. Please call our office during our intake hours (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Pacific Time) to book an appointment. If we are not able to respond to your call, please leave a voice mail message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

We occasionally host walk-in clinics on Saturdays at our Vancouver office at 302-119 West Pender; all migrant workers are welcome to attend. Our clinics are an opportunity for migrant workers to simply show up to our office and see a staff lawyer to get legal advice in the areas of employment and immigration.

If you’re interested in coming to the legal clinic, please bring :

Your passport and work permit
Employment contract and other documentation
Any other documents you have about the issue you’re facing

If you have questions about the legal clinic or are unsure of what to bring, please give us a call in advance to discuss.

Saturday Legal Clinic Dates – April 2024

April 13th
April 20th
April 27th: the clinic will be held on-site at Lapu Lapu day

Who we can help

Our organization provides assistance to temporary foreign workers holding closed work permits, or those without status, who live in British Columbia.

If you have an open work permit and are facing severe exploitation and/or sexual harassment at work, we may also be able to help you.

What we can help with

Migrant Workers Centre has limited funding; for this reason, we are often forced to prioritize clients who do not have access to other resources.

We may be able to help you with the following:

Provide information about rights and obligations under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program;
PR applications under care giver pilot programs;
Work place injuries;
WorkSafeBC claims;
Missing wages and hours;
Poor working conditions;
Fees for work;
Labour exploitation;
Sexual harassment at work;
Getting fired from work;
Employment Standards Branch complaints;
Closed Work Permit applications;
Francophone Mobility Program work permit applications;
Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers;
Work Permit Under Special Programs;
Employment Insurance;
Judicial Reviews of Immigration applications;

We may be able to help you with issues outside of what is listed above. We encourage you to contact us to learn more about our services.

What we can’t help with

Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you if you are one of the following: