What If You Can’t Get an Employment Reference Letter for Express Entry?

The reality is that this situation is far more common than many people realize. As Ankita Goyal recently pointed out in a LinkedIn post, there are ways to move forward. Companies shut down, managers move on, HR departments refuse to issue detailed letters, or employment relationships end on less-than-ideal terms. 

The key takeaway? Not having a standard reference letter does not automatically lead to refusal. That said, it also doesn’t remove the burden of proof. If you’re claiming work experience, you remain fully responsible for demonstrating that your work experience meets the program requirements. 

The Purpose of a Reference Letter 

In the context of immigration applications, an employment reference letter is used by IRCC to verify that your claimed work experience is genuine and meets program requirements. It confirms where you worked, the nature of your role, the duration of your employment, and whether the work qualifies under the system. 

A proper reference letter should be printed on company letterhead and include: 

• Job title 

• Dates of employment 

• Hours worked and employment status (full-time or part-time) 

• Salary and benefits 

• Duties and responsibilities 

• Company contact information (address, phone number, and email) 

• Supervisor’s details (name, job title, and signature) 

In cases where you cannot obtain a reference letter, or the letter you can obtain does not include all of the required information, you must submit additional supporting documents. 

What Can You Submit in Place of a Reference Letter? 

As confirmed in a response from Ankita Goyal via an IMMREP mailbox inquiry, an applicant may still demonstrate qualifying work experience by submitting a combination of alternative documents. These may include, but are not limited to: 

• Employment contracts stating dates of employment, hours worked per week, salary, and benefits 

• A letter from a direct manager or supervisor confirming job title, duties, and responsibilities 

• Promotion or salary review letters 

• Paystubs and tax documents, such as T4s, Notices of Assessment, or equivalent 

• Internal HR records or official job descriptions 

• A signed letter explaining why they are unable to provide an employment letter. 

The purpose of these documents is to collectively provide all the information a standard employment reference letter would normally contain, had it been available. 

Importantly, the documents must clearly cover the same period of employment being claimed and align with the duties of the declared NOC. 

What If You Have a Reference Letter, but It’s Incomplete? 

In practice, these same supporting documents may also be submitted when you are able to obtain an employment reference letter, but it is missing one or more required elements (such as hours worked, salary, or detailed duties). 

In these cases, additional documentation should be provided to clearly address the missing information. You should also share a brief letter of explanation identifying what is missing from the reference letter and why. The goal remains the same: to ensure IRCC has sufficient evidence to fully assess the claimed work experience. 

Additional Documentation You May Also Want to Provide 

In addition to submitting the documents outlined in the IMMREP response, applicants may wish to include supplementary evidence that further supports the claimed work experience and strengthens overall credibility. This can include: 

• Evidence of efforts made to obtain an official employment reference letter, such as emails to HR or former managers, along with any responses received 

• Performance reviews or appraisal reports that confirm job duties, responsibilities, and progression 

• Proof of resignation or record of employment, if available.  

While no single document is determinative, the goal is to provide clear, consistent, and corroborating evidence that collectively demonstrates the nature of the work performed and how it aligns with the claimed NOC. 

What Work Experience Needs to Be Supported by a Reference Letter? 

All work experience that you rely on for either eligibility or CRS points must be supported by a proper reference letter or documentation in place of a reference letter. 

This includes: 

Work experience required to qualify for the program (eligibility) 

Any work experience that makes you eligible to enter the Express Entry pool must be documented. For example, under the Canadian Experience Class program, you must demonstrate at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience in the last three years. Under Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must demonstrate at least one continuous year of skilled work experience. However, in practice, many applicants must demonstrate six or more years of skilled work experience in the last ten years, in order to obtain enough points under the FSWP selection factors to be eligible for the program. 

Work experience claimed for CRS points 

Any additional years of work experience that contribute to your CRS score must also be supported with proper documentation. 

For example, a CEC applicant is only required to demonstrate one year of skilled Canadian work experience to meet the minimum eligibility requirement. However, if they were awarded CRS points for five years of Canadian work experience, they must provide supporting documentation for the full five years claimed, not just the one year required for eligibility. 

In other words, any period of work experience used to either qualify for the program or that contributes to your CRS score must be properly documented. 

 What is The IMMREP Mailbox 

Authorized immigration representatives have access to the IMMREP mailbox, an IRCC email account that allows them to submit questions requiring policy clarification or interpretive guidance. 

While this channel can be helpful for confirming how IRCC generally interprets certain requirements, it does not provide case-specific advice or assessments. Responses are not intended to pre-approve documentation or predict the outcome of an individual application. Instead, these replies clarify how requirements are applied in principle. 

Key Takeaway: Employment Reference Letter Submissions 

No single document makes or breaks an immigration application. But weak, inconsistent, or vague evidence can. 

If a standard employment reference letter isn’t available or is incomplete, the focus should be on building a clear, consistent, and well-documented evidence package that fully supports the claimed work experience, for both eligibility and CRS points.  

When done properly, alternative documentation can still support a successful Express Entry application, but the burden of proof always remains with the applicant. 

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