Effective Reference Letters -

[haral]

Hi,

I have been reading lots of posts about applications being declined on the basis of poorly presented reference letters, JDs not being mentioned properly, or missing small details in reference letters which can have an negative affect on your otherwise good chances of being approved. Well presented reference letters not only make your case strong but can also speed up the process since at times VO dont go for extensive verifications over your work experience if your work experience relevant documents are proper and meet their requirements.

I am initiating this thread to offer my advice as much as i can on this subject........ Please free to post......

[qatar_fsw4131]

My app was refused for poor presentation in reference letter without any verification. One thing I could suggest everybody not to copy the main duties of occupation from cic NOC website.
Hi,

I have been reading lots of posts about applications being declined on the basis of poorly presented reference letters, JDs not being mentioned properly, or missing small details in reference letters which can have an negative affect on your otherwise good chances of being approved. Well presented reference letters not only make your case strong but can also speed up the process since at times VO dont go for extensive verifications over your work experience if your work experience relevant documents are proper and meet their requirements.

I am initiating this thread to offer my advice as much as i can on this subject........ Please free to post......

[matlal]

Hi,

This is the excerpt from the OP6 manual.

For SW1 (one or more of the 38 occupations listed in the MI), review the documents related to
work experience. These documents should include those listed in the Appendix A document
checklist of the visa office specific forms. They should include sufficient detail to support the claim
of at least one year of continuous work experience or equivalent paid work experience in one or
more of the occupations in the last 10 years. Documents lacking sufficient information about the
employer, or containing only vague descriptions of duties and periods of employment, should be
given less weight. Descriptions of duties taken verbatim from the NOC should be regarded as selfserving.
Presented with such documents, visa officers may question whether they accurately
describe an applicant's experience. A document that lacks sufficient detail to permit eventual
verification and a credible description of the applicant's experience is unlikely to satisfy an officer
of an applicant's eligibility


Descriptions taken from the NOC can prove to be good. But again, there are some posts, where applicants have received replies from the Visa Office, stating that the reference letter by prepared  by self. They conclude this, bcoz sometimes letters given by two different employers have the same wording.

Well, there is no correct way to get it done. It is sometimes just luck or chance.

Hope for the best. Speculations, will only lead to more confusion.


Matlal

[kabayan]

Most of the rejections I have read in this forum due JDs not justifying the NOC often have reference letters that are literally  been taken verbatim from the Canadian NOC site. If you were the immigration officer and you see the jd lifted word per word from the NOC site, you would worry a bit too right? I think that due to high amount of cases especially in London VO, when immigration officers have doubt, they don't investigate extensively anymore and just outrighly reject the application.

In the end, the burden of proof lies in our hands so I guess we should be careful in compiling our documents/letters etc.

[rizwan72]

My employer has already provided a reference letter of my designation and duration only. Will it be suffice with my Boss's business card and cover letter to explain company policy not issuing details? My boss can verify my provided job details.

[haral]

see it gets very tricky once you are not able to meet some of the reference letter requirements...Visa office needs to see JDs since otherwise they have an option to decline the application based on not providing JDs which they can match with JDs against the specific NOC...this has to be done to make you eligible against ministrial instructions of NOCs in high demand....So bottom line is get those JDs in there otherwise situation can go both ways..VO has to discretion to call your employer and ask for your JDs or outrightly decline your app based on not being able to provide reference letters with required details mentioned in VO checklist...............

My employer has already provided a reference letter of my designation and duration only. Will it be suffice with my Boss's business card and cover letter to explain company policy not issuing details? My boss can verify my provided job details.

[haral]

Andddddd if its a company policy not to issue reference letter than surely they must have your JD letter..JD letter would suffice...

[canady]

Dear haral,

when i first read the title of this thread, i felt as if it was just for me.
I'm living in a hell since i have sent my application :'. And i would really appreciate if you have answers for me. Here is the case:

I'm a pharmacist with around one year experience as community pharmacist and six years experience as industrial pharmacist.(in two different but reputable and well known organizations)

The fatal points in my documents:

1- I didn't send niether a contract nor experience certificate regarding the first employer; it was impossible as this is not a governmental pharmacy so there was only verbal contract. Adding to this that i couldn't obtain experience certificate since the owner and manager of the pharmacy has travelled abroad four years ago.

2- Regarding the second employer:

     - I didn't take the original contract.As a policy they give you only a photocopy with no stamp on it      and i signed: I recieved a photocopy. So i have sent only a non stamped non notarized photocopy of the contrct.  

     - They gave me an experience crtificate with only job titles and the divisions where i worked. No exact and detailed job duties.

3-  Regarding the current employer:

    - They never give a written contract to any one. So i have sent niether original or photocopy of the contract.

    - They totally and completely refused to give me any experience certificate with my job duties. As a policy, such certificates are released only at time when you resign. So, they only gave me statement that i already work with them and mentioned my title. But no job duties and no mentioned salary.

Unfortunately, all what i could get and send with my application was:
- A photocopy of the contract with my previous employer.
- Experience certificate from my previous employer with the exact period i worked and only the job titles and sections where i worked.
- Statement from my current employer that i work for them from a date of.....till now, without mentioning niether the job duties nor the salary.
- Contact numbers, fax numbers and addresses of all my employers.

I made a fatal mistake by not sending any explanation.
I'm in a nightmare. I'm deprived of sleeping because i keep wondering if i will pass the eligibilty test or not.If they will contact my employers they can verify the truth but it is not guaranteed specially for post june applicants.

WHAT SHOULD I DO??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[qatar_fsw4131]

Dear haral,

when i first read the title of this thread, i felt as if it was just for me.
I'm living in a hell since i have sent my application :'. And i would really appreciate if you have answers for me. Here is the case:

I'm a pharmacist with around one year experience as community pharmacist and six years experience as industrial pharmacist.(in two different but reputable and well known organizations)

The fatal points in my documents:

1- I didn't send niether a contract nor experience certificate regarding the first employer; it was impossible as this is not a governmental pharmacy so there was only verbal contract. Adding to this that i couldn't obtain experience certificate since the owner and manager of the pharmacy has travelled abroad four years ago.

2- Regarding the second employer:

     - I didn't take the original contract.As a policy they give you only a photocopy with no stamp on it      and i signed: I recieved a photocopy. So i have sent only a non stamped non notarized photocopy of the contrct.  

     - They gave me an experience crtificate with only job titles and the divisions where i worked. No exact and detailed job duties.

3-  Regarding the current employer:

    - They never give a written contract to any one. So i have sent niether original or photocopy of the contract.

    - They totally and completely refused to give me any experience certificate with my job duties. As a policy, such certificates are released only at time when you resign. So, they only gave me statement that i already work with them and mentioned my title. But no job duties and no mentioned salary.

Unfortunately, all what i could get and send with my application was:
- A photocopy of the contract with my previous employer.
- Experience certificate from my previous employer with the exact period i worked and only the job titles and sections where i worked.
- Statement from my current employer that i work for them from a date of.....till now, without mentioning niether the job duties nor the salary.
- Contact numbers, fax numbers and addresses of all my employers.

I made a fatal mistake by not sending any explanation.
I'm in a nightmare. I'm deprived of sleeping because i keep wondering if i will pass the eligibilty test or not.If they will contact my employers they can verify the truth but it is not guaranteed specially for post june applicants.

WHAT SHOULD I DO??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Write down immediately detail explanation regarding your work experience. And see what other seniors will  advise you.

[haral]

Hi, Qatar-FSW has said it rightly... here s what you need to do ASAP.

1- get all kinds of documents you recieved from your employers. e;g. business card, salary slips, appreciation email or letters, training certificates from org etc. use your imagination.
2- write a cover letter to explain every document you have nt been able to provide with reasons. mention your immigration file number on top of the letter.

courier these to your VO immediately and hit to prayer mat.  ... i am quite sure with these VO will have to call your employers...

Dear haral,

when i first read the title of this thread, i felt as if it was just for me.
I'm living in a hell since i have sent my application :'. And i would really appreciate if you have answers for me. Here is the case:

I'm a pharmacist with around one year experience as community pharmacist and six years experience as industrial pharmacist.(in two different but reputable and well known organizations)

The fatal points in my documents:

1- I didn't send niether a contract nor experience certificate regarding the first employer; it was impossible as this is not a governmental pharmacy so there was only verbal contract. Adding to this that i couldn't obtain experience certificate since the owner and manager of the pharmacy has travelled abroad four years ago.

2- Regarding the second employer:

     - I didn't take the original contract.As a policy they give you only a photocopy with no stamp on it      and i signed: I recieved a photocopy. So i have sent only a non stamped non notarized photocopy of the contrct.  

     - They gave me an experience crtificate with only job titles and the divisions where i worked. No exact and detailed job duties.

3-  Regarding the current employer:

    - They never give a written contract to any one. So i have sent niether original or photocopy of the contract.

    - They totally and completely refused to give me any experience certificate with my job duties. As a policy, such certificates are released only at time when you resign. So, they only gave me statement that i already work with them and mentioned my title. But no job duties and no mentioned salary.

Unfortunately, all what i could get and send with my application was:
- A photocopy of the contract with my previous employer.
- Experience certificate from my previous employer with the exact period i worked and only the job titles and sections where i worked.
- Statement from my current employer that i work for them from a date of.....till now, without mentioning niether the job duties nor the salary.
- Contact numbers, fax numbers and addresses of all my employers.

I made a fatal mistake by not sending any explanation.
I'm in a nightmare. I'm deprived of sleeping because i keep wondering if i will pass the eligibilty test or not.If they will contact my employers they can verify the truth but it is not guaranteed specially for post june applicants.

WHAT SHOULD I DO??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[amitsmeet]

Firstly, Well my suggestion is not doing so, because if they have doubt with regards to your supportings for claiming points for work experience, (which most probably will be ur case) they will ask for additional documents request, you can then provide them the rest or an explaination of not having the same,but you need to provide other wise they will consider the file submitted by you and make a final decision on the same.
Secondly your reasoning should be strong enough to satisfy them other wise no points for work experience.

[canady]

Hi, Qatar-FSW has said it rightly... here s what you need to do ASAP.

1- get all kinds of documents you recieved from your employers. e;g. business card, salary slips, appreciation email or letters, training certificates from org etc. use your imagination.
2- write a cover letter to explain every document you have nt been able to provide with reasons. mention your immigration file number on top of the letter.

courier these to your VO immediately and hit to prayer mat.  ... i am quite sure with these VO will have to call your employers...

Dear haral,
Unfortunately, i'm a post june applicant. All documents have already been sent to the CIO(except what i've mentioned). I don't have a file number yet. And i'm so afraid if i send them a letter by FEDEX, they may not correlate and match between it and my already sent application.

Please guide me.

[gte439u]

Try to model the duties you performed in your job with the "Main Duties" listed in the NOC.  These duties are very general in the NOC, so you will need to demonstrate to the visa officer that what you did in your job is what is generally considered to be a Main Duty.

Look at NOC 2142 for example:
http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2006/QuickSearch.aspx?val65=2142
Metallurgical and materials engineers perform some or all of the following duties:
    * Conduct studies and design, develop and specify the processes, and machinery to concentrate, extract, refine and process metals from ores. {....}

If you were applying under NOC  2142, you will want to tell the visa officer what that you did in your job that pertains to the design or processes or refine ores. If you designed an extraction process in your job, you should say that in the experience letter.  For example, "I designed a process to remove organic matters from bitumen to increase the speed of processing."

[haral]

Hi, Unfortunately in CIO`s case you cant do much till they get back to you...Good luck..hope they give you a postive response...

Dear haral,
Unfortunately, i'm a post june applicant. All documents have already been sent to the CIO(except what i've mentioned). I don't have a file number yet. And i'm so afraid if i send them a letter by FEDEX, they may not correlate and match between it and my already sent application.

Please guide me.