Last Updated on June 29, 2022 by Visa Journal
Are you applying for Canadian PR and looking to know about work experience letter for express entry? If so, keep reading as this article will provide you details on work reference letter for applicants of Canada’s express entry. While creating Express Entry Profile, you must have mentioned work experience which you gained in last ten years. The same experience made you eligible for Express Entry and gave you the CRS points . On receiving the Invitation to Apply (ITA), you are required to prove the stated work experience to IRCC (Immigration Refugees & Citizenship Canada) through work experience letters. These work experience letters can either be hard copies or in digital format. Lets jump into the details!
When to obtain experience letter
Experience letter for express entry is only needed when the applicant receives the ITA. It is not needed at the time of express entry profile creation. Sometimes it is a good idea to obtain them before receiving ITA as one only gets 60 days for document submission. There is no validity date or expiry date for experience letters. So, a letter that was issued several years ago is all good as long as the contact details of the person who issued the document remain same. Ideally when you create express entry profile it is a good idea to discuss with your employer(present and past) about the work reference letter.
Who needs work reference letter?
For the purpose of express entry only the main applicant is required to provide work experience letter in the specific format. For those who apply with their spouse, the only two factors for which their spouse can add points are education and IELTS. Spouse may provide any kind of proof of experience.
Format of the experience letter
The major question is as to what is the right format for the express entry work reference letters. The answer is that there is no specific format. The format of the letter is dependent on the company that is issuing it. Work reference letters must fulfill certain requirements in terms of their ingredients
- It must be on a company letterhead
- It must bear the signature of the issuing officer at the company
- It must be dated
Just ask your employer to issue it as per their own standard format. In fact, if there are multiple experience letters to be submitted then it may seem dubious if all have exact same format.
What to Include in the Experience Letter?
The most important question, what should be written in the work reference letter for express entry. Based on what IRCC mandates the letter must include the following information
Outside Canada Experience
Make sure your current and/or previous employers include all of the below mentioned information in your work reference letter. If any of the required information is missing, your application may be refused or your may face processing delays. The experience letter should be on a company letter head or official document and must contain the following;
- The name of the Canadian PR applicant
- The company’s contact information, including its address, phone number, website, and email contact
- The name, title, and signature of the immediate supervisor or human resources officer at the company
- The dates of issuance of the letter
- The job title(s) held by the applicant during service at that organization
- The respective duties that the PR applicant performed on a a regular basis. These must align with the description of applicant’s primary NOC code.
- The status of the job (if it is the current job)
- The dates which the applicant was employed at the company/organization
- The number of weekly/monthly hours worked. This can be mentioned as standard working hours for a week (e.g. 9:00 – 5:00 Monday – Friday)
- Salary and perks on a monthly/annual basis
Pro-Tips: If you worked for a single company but changed positions within that company, you may submit a single letter but make sure that it contains all the necessary information. For instance, the immigration officer might want to see all the dates you were employed in each position or any changes to the name of your job title, your wage, or duties.
In-Canada Work Experience:
For the candidates who have experience inside Canada they must provide the experience letter containing the above mentioned information plus the following additional documents;
- Copies of T4 tax information slips
- Notices of Assessment (NOA) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
Self-Employment:
Proving self-employment may be a bit of a task. But it is acceptable as long as you can prove it through supporting documentation. Broadly, the following document must be submitted
- Federal/Provincial Incorporation documents of the company
- Tax registration certificate (if available)
- Proof of self-employment earnings
- Third-party documentation detailing the service performed as well as payment information
Important Points to Consider
It should be kept in mind that the Immigrant, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does a thorough search to ensure that the work history provided is accurate and that the NOC codes mentioned are correct. Describing your job through NOC description may feel a bit forced. Instead, writing your genuine role in the job duties would come off better and give your application a good look. You can then see what NOC code is the best match for you. While creating your express entry (EE) profile picking the NOC code that matches most of your described duties is crucially important, and must be covering at least 50% of the primary responsibilities listed. If most of your job descriptions are not being defined by the NOC code, you may want to look under a different NOC code that best matches the description.
The work experience section of the express entry makes up a critical part of your application. You want to ensure that you have provided the IRCC with every detail that favors your eligibility and accuracy. Fortunately, filling out this part of the application is not as complicated if you understand precisely what the Express Entry portal demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are salary slips mandatory
For express entry applicant mandatory requirement is only to have the salary information mentioned on the work reference letter. If you do not attach salary slips or proof of salary transfer in the bank account it does not mean your will have a refusal just for this. As long as your experience letter states your salary you are all good. Sometimes the officers may ask for salary slips of proof of salary transfer in bank account later during the processing. For those who have these available at the time of application it is a good idea to submit these along with the experience letter.
What if the employer does not issue letter with all the required details
As an applicant of express entry it is your responsibility to provide enough evidence to the officer that they are satisfied with proof of your wok experience. Sometimes companies do not mention the salary on the experience letter, or they may not add as detailed duties, or working hours. In this case try and gather other supporting documents that can provide proof on the information missing in the experience letter. So if they do not list the duties in detail, you may add your job offer letter with duties or may ask a colleague to put down your detailed duties on a letter for you. In any such case do explain through a letter as to why your work experience letter does not include the required detail and how you have tried to provide proof of that through some other supporting document.
Who should sign the letter
The letter must be signed by either your line manager or by a human resource personnel. If your letter was issued in the past by your line manager, who may have changed roles now then better obtain new letter with updated contact details of the human resource department.
Related Articles: What is Express Entry (EE) for Canada?, How to Create Express Entry Profile Online?, Comprehensive Ranking Score for Express Entry