Are you seeking Canadian permanent residency through the Express Entry Program, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, or any other Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)? If so, you may need to provide evidence of your current or past work experience.
When applying for Canadian permanent residency, applicants are required to submit a letter to Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) from their employer containing specific information. This letter, known as an Employment Reference Letter, is crucial for the application process. This article outlines IRCC’s expectations regarding the format of this letter and offers guidance for individuals whose employers are unwilling to provide it.
When submitting an Employment Reference Letter to IRCC, it must adhere to certain formatting requirements, including:
- Organization’s Letterhead: The letter should be printed on the organization’s letterhead, which must include its contact information.
- Contact Information: This should encompass the organization’s email address, phone number, and complete address.
- Supervisor’s Details: The letter should include the candidate’s supervisor’s details, such as their name, title, and signature. If the supervisor is unavailable, the Human Resource manager can provide this information.
- Candidate’s Information: It is imperative to include the candidate’s name, job title, list of responsibilities, start and end dates of employment (if applicable), total weekly working hours, salary, and any additional benefits received annually from the organization.
- Organization’s Stamp: While not mandatory according to IRCC guidelines, having the organization’s stamp is beneficial.
- Duties and Responsibilities: The Employment Reference Letter must accurately detail the candidate’s duties and responsibilities.
Obtaining the Employment Reference Letter from the Organization
Remaining flexible, IRCC takes into account specific scenarios concerning the Employment Reference Letter for Canada PR application:
- Alternative Documents: Should the candidate be unable to furnish the Employment Reference Letter as per IRCC’s criteria, they may submit other pertinent documents along with a Letter of Explanation (LoE) detailing the reasons for not providing the letter.
- Dialogue with HR: In the event of HR declining to issue the letter, the candidate can engage in discussions with their immediate supervisor.
- Evidence of Denial: Maintaining evidence of communication with HR is crucial. Should HR refuse to provide the letter, the candidate can utilize the email correspondence as evidence.
- Letter from Reporting Manager: If HR refuses to comply, the candidate can request their reporting manager to sign the Employment Reference Letter on behalf of the organization, even without using the organization’s letterhead.
- Notarized Signature: The candidate should include a copy of the company card and have their signature notarized.
- Additional Documents: Upon the manager’s endorsement of the letter, the candidate should include copies of pertinent documents such as job contracts, offer letters, payslips, salary certificates, promotion letters, etc.
It is important to emphasize providing a comprehensive overview of the candidate’s role and contributions to the organization, aiding IRCC in assessing the candidate’s suitability for Canada PR.
How to Utilize NOC for Drafting the Employment Reference Letter?
It is imperative to identify the NOC (National Occupational Classification) code, which delineates the list of responsibilities and duties. The candidate should ascertain the appropriate NOC code aligning with their actual job duties and responsibilities.
This is a pivotal aspect of the immigration process. If encountering difficulties in identifying the correct NOC code for the occupation, it is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed Canadian immigration consultant. The candidate should fulfill the majority of the job duties outlined in the NOC code.
- The candidate should delineate their duties drawing inspiration from the NOC code description.
- It is recommended not to replicate the order and number of employment responsibilities stated in the NOC code description.
- Additionally, incorporating two to three tasks not mentioned in the NOC code description is advised.
IRCC scrutinizes the reliability and authenticity of the letter, which could influence the duration of further investigations and the application process, potentially leading to rejection of the reference letter.
A sample Employment Reference Letter is provided below to facilitate the process for you:
Sample Employment Reference Letter
(On organization’s letterhead indicating organization’s email address, precise location address, and contact number OR Manager’s Name and contact details including Manager’s Name, designation, organization’s email address, location address, contact number)
Subject: REFERENCE LETTER – EMPLOYMENT AT (ORGANIZATION’S NAME)
(City)
(Date)
To Whom It May Concern,
I, (Manager’s Name), hereby confirm, in my capacity as the direct Manager of (Your Name), that (he/she) has been employed by (Organization’s Name) since (Date of hire) as a (Job Title), working (full-time or part-time) for (number of hours per week), and currently remains employed at (Organization’s Name) under my supervision (if referencing past employment, use past tense and include the last day of employment). (Candidate’s Name) earns an annual income of (state salary in local currency) and receives benefits, including (list the benefits received).
The duties and responsibilities of (Candidate’s Name) in the capacity of (Job Title) are as follows:
- (Duty/Responsibility)
- (Duty/Responsibility)
- (Duty/Responsibility)
- (Duty/Responsibility)
- (Duty/Responsibility)
(If the Manager does not provide certain IRCC-required information, you can, for instance, include the following: “As I do not have the requisite authority, I am unable to confirm (Candidate’s Name)’s salary, nor can I use (Organization’s Name)’s letterhead for this correspondence.”)
Anticipating to meet your requirements,
{Manager Title}
Manager Name
As Employment Reference Letters play a crucial role in determining the correct NOC code for your occupation and thus serve as the foundation of your Canadian immigration process, it is imperative to seek advice from a licensed Canadian immigration consultant to ensure accuracy and avoid any adverse impact on your application.
