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Employer Reference Letter for Canada Immigration Programs

A reference letter from the employer is a vital part of any visa application submitted to Canadian immigration authorities that can make or break an applicant’s case.

When applying for a temporary visa, this reference will serve as proof of the following:

1. The applicant being employed.
2. The applicant has a steady source of income, enough to cover their travel plans as listed in their application.
3. The employer being aware of and okay with the applicant taking time off of their job.

When enrolling in the Federal Skilled Worker immigration program, these letters prove that the applicant has the skills and expertise required to qualify for permanent residence in Canada.

Applications without any supporting reference letters may (depending on the type of application) lead to them being returned to the applicant or the request for the visa being denied altogether. Submitting incorrect, false, or incomplete reference letters – especially those with factual errors – will also lead to denial or severe complications.

Check the sample provided below for reference on how a visa recommendation letter from an employer should look like. This sample letter confirms the applicant’s work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker immigration program and was written in accordance with the requirements set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Visa Reference Letter Requirements

The guidelines provided with the Federal Skilled Worker program list the main requirements for visa reference letters. The same requirements apply to letters written for most other types of visa applications (i.e., Provincial Nominee Program applications, etc.)

The requirements are as follows:

• The letter has to be printed on the employer’s official letterhead.
• The letter has to contain the employer’s credentials and contact information.
• The letter has to specify:
  • the term of the applicant’s employment;
  • the applicant’s positions with the company and the time spent working in each of them;
  • the applicant’s main responsibilities in each position;
  • the salary for each position;
  • the type of employment (full time, part-time, etc.) and the number of hours per week for each position.
• The letter has to be signed by the employer or the employer’s authorized representative.

Sample Reference Letter for Visa Application from Employer

The letter you submit should not be too long or too detailed. It has to adhere to the aforementioned requirements and only list what’s truly necessary.

Your job requirements and responsibilities should be made clear without providing superfluous or excessive statements unrelated to your case. Make sure that the reference letter is dated, signed, and contains all of the requisites and contacts should the immigration authorities decide to contact your employer for additional information.

Ajax Inc.

12 Commercial Dr., Smalltown, UK

+5.555.555.5555 | info@ajaxcompany.net | www.ajaxcompany.net

To whom it may concern

 

Reference

By this letter Ajax Inc. confirms that John Doe has been employed with the company since February 01, 2017 till present time in the position of a Senior Software Developer.

His main job duties include writing program code in C# and C++ as per the provided technical requirements for software modules of the "Logistics Expert" and "Standard Aspect" application packages developed by Ajax Inc, as well as debugging, optimization and troubleshooting of existing program code.

Mr.Doe is a supervisor of a workgroup consisting of three software developers; he assigns tasks within the group, monitors overall task progress and prepares monthly reports for the management on the grop performance.

Mr.Doe is employed on a full-time basis, his salary is $45 per hour.

Please contact the undersigned for any inquiries pertaining to the matter.

 

Sincerely,

(signature)

Jack Collins

Senior HR manager

Ajax Inc.

April 23, 2020