A safe space, a listening ear
Your Rights at Work & Preventing Exploitation
When you are new to Canada on a student visa or a temporary work permit, bad employers will sometimes try to use your desire for Permanent Residency (PR) against you. They might tell you that if you don’t do what they want, they will have you deported. This is a lie.
If you are experiencing any of the following, you are being exploited:
The PR & LMIA Scam:
If your boss tells you that you must work unpaid hours, accept lower pay than minimum wage, or do personal favors for them in exchange for supporting your PR paperwork or signing an LMIA, this is illegal workplace coercion.
Abuse of Power:
If a manager or employer demands sexual favors, dates, or inappropriate personal relationships in exchange for giving you good shifts, keeping you employed, or helping with your visa status, this is sexual harassment and exploitation.
Wage Theft:
You are legally entitled to the Nova Scotia minimum wage, proper overtime pay, and a safe work environment—even if you are working a cash job.
What you can do:
Start quietly collecting evidence. Take screenshots of abusive or inappropriate text messages, write down the exact dates and hours you worked, and keep track of your cash payments. The Canadian government offers a special protection called the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers. If you can show that your employer is abusing or exploiting you, Canada will grant you an open permit so you can leave that job immediately and work anywhere else without losing your legal status or visa.