To be eligible for Canada PR, a candidate must meet the Canada PR eligibility requirements first. One of the requirements consists of the candidate submitting a reference letter for Canada PR.
A reference letter for Canada PR is issued by the candidate’s past/present employers. It proves the candidate’s skills and work experience. Further, a candidate submits the reference letter for Canada PR as proof of work experience.
The company must print an employment letter on its official letterhead and submit it with the final electronic Application of Permanent Residence (e-APR).
The purpose of a reference letter is to prove the candidate’s skills and abilities along with serving as a proof of their previous (and current) employment experience.
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What is included in the Employment Reference Letter?
A work reference letter should:
- be an official document which is printed on the letterhead of the company
- include the name of the applicant, contact details of the company, name, title as well as the signature of the immediate supervisor at the company
- include all job positions held during the employment at that company
- include job titles, job status (in case of the current job), duties and responsibilities, dates of employment, hours worked per week, and annual salary and perks
A reference letter includes information that is related to the work experience of the candidate. Thus, this information of work experience could be regarding the previous employment or the current job of the candidate.
A reference letter, also known as an employment reference letter or a work reference letter, is in an important document. As part of the proof of work experience that the candidate has to submit, the reference letter is one of the required documents.
Who Issues an Employment Reference Letter?
The previous employers of the applicant issue a reference letter for the Canada PR applicant. The employer issuing the reference letter will provide the necessary information regarding the job role of the applicant, their duties and responsibilities and so on.
Moreover, the employer should make sure that all the important information regarding your job position, duties, and responsibilities are mentioned in the reference letter.
Why a Reference Letter is Important for Canada PR?
Yes, a reference letter is an important document to prove your work experience for Canada PR. It shows that your experience is in accordance with the Canada National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes. Moreover, a reference letter is one of the best ways to prove that you have the necessary work experience in the relevant field of work.
When Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processes the candidate’s PR application, they need to verify the work experience claim the candidate is making.
For this verification, IRCC checks out the reference letter that the candidate provides with their PR application. Thus, a reference letter is important for Canada’s permanent residence application.
Is a Reference Letter one of the Eligibility Requirements of Canada PR?
Submitting a reference letter is part of your proof of work experience, which is one of the eligibility requirements of the Canada PR application. So, this means, that by providing employment reference letters, the candidate is verifying their necessary experience in a particular field.
Verifying work experience in turn proves that the applicant will be useful for the growth of the economy, as they already have experience in this certain field.
Hence, a reference letter could be said as one of the eligibility requirements for a Canada PR application.
What if I can’t get a reference letter for Canada PR?
Alternative documents to submit in place of reference letter:
- Tax forms
- Pay slips
- Record of employment
- Letters from coworkers
- Promotion letters
- Bank statements with pay deposits from previous employment
- Media coverage about the company where your name is mentioned
If the applicant is unable to get a reference letter, they can submit a Letter of Explanation explaining why they couldn’t get it. Further, there are some other alternative documents available too to submit in place of a reference letter.
There could be instances where the applicant may not be able to procure a reference letter from their previous employers. Also, the reasons behind this could be many. Maybe the business does not exist anymore, maybe the employee is unable to get in touch with their previous employer, or maybe the employer refused to give them the letter, etc.
Reference Letter Format
A reference letter format includes:
- Applicant’s name
- The employee’s name
- Duties and responsibilities
- Annual salary
- Working hours in a week
- Start date and end date of the job
- Company’s contact information
- Employer’s name, signature, and designation
Tips to Write a Good Reference Letter For Canada PR
Some tips for writing a reference letter for Canada immigration:
- it should be an official document
- preferably written on a company letterhead
- include: applicant’s job title; the number of hours worked weekly; duties and responsibilities of the applicant; the weekly wage of the applicant
- include the company’s contact information
- include the applicant’s job details, duties, and responsibilities, etc
- have the supervisor’s name and job title underneath the signature
- have the business card of the individual signing it (if possible)
- stamped with company stamp (if possible)
A good reference letter for Canada PR includes necessary information regarding the employment history of the applicant. The information should be presented clearly and accurately.
In case the immigration officer does not find such information in the reference letter, they might suspect the letter as a fake one. So, to ensure that the applicant’s reference letter is genuine, the above mentioned information needs to be present in it.
Is reference letter mandatory for Canada PR?
A reference letter is submitted along with the main PR application as part of the proof of work experience. It is one of the best ways to prove employment history.
What happens if a company does not give a reference letter for Canada PR?
In case your company refuses to give a reference letter for Canada PR, you could submit some other proof, such as payslips, tax forms, record of employment, letters from colleagues, media coverage of your company where your name appears, etc.
What is included in a reference letter for Canadian immigration?
A reference letter for Canada immigration consists of- the applicant’s name, name of the company they have worked for, applicant’s job title, how many hours they worked weekly, their weekly salary, their annual salary and perks, start date and end dates of the employment, duties and responsibilities during employment, etc.
How many reference letters should I provide for Canada PR?
The applicant should provide reference letters from all the employers they have worked for. If they are working at the time of filing the Canada PR application, they should also provide a reference letter for that job.
Who is eligible to write a reference letter for Canada PR?
The applicant’s employer, both previous and present, writes the reference letter for Canada PR application.
What if I can’t get a reference letter from my employer?
If you can’t get a reference letter from your employer, you may submit an alternative document such as pay slips, record of employment, tax forms, letters from colleagues, etc.
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