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Elements of a good employment reference letter

shibaak

Hero Member
Feb 13, 2015
465
25
Hi.
I need your advice on this situation.

I worked in a company for 2 years. But I left there a few months ago.
My supervisor also left there at the same time. And i did not get an employment letter.

Now I have all pay stubs, even my cheques, T4s and NOAs, job offer letter on company letterhead, etc.
However, the new supervisor does not know me and did not accept to give me the employment letter.
But my own supervisor accepted to give me the employment letter and to notorize it.
I can also include a notorized letter saying why i could not include that letter.
Do you think that these letters are enough for me to prove my job experience?

I should mention that I am going to apply under FSW program, not CEC.
Is this letter enough?

Please help me. I am so confused in this.
 

PrettyCanada

Hero Member
Feb 17, 2015
386
14
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hi Seniors,

I am applying in CEC category. I have total 10 years of experience out of which I have worked in Canada for 13 months in 2014-15 and rest of the time in one of Indian MNC. I have got a reference letter for Canadian work having salary, benefits, working hours and list of duties, duration etc.

My question is: Will I need similar letter for Indian experience as well? I don't think my employer will provide it. Or I will need just a traditional letter having employment duration and designation will work? I can easily get traditional experience letter. I have all payslips, offer letter, promotion letters etc.

Please help.

Thanks.
 

Amisnic

Champion Member
Mar 28, 2014
1,155
47
Visa Office......
Sydney NS
NOC Code......
NOC 2133
App. Filed.......
30-04-2014
AOR Received.
22-05-2014
Med's Done....
20-03-2015
LANDED..........
02-06-2015
Under CEC you will not need employment letters from your Indian employers.

I am a bit bewildered - why on earth will your Indian employer not provide employment letters - that is so unprofessional.



PrettyCanada said:
Hi Seniors,

I am applying in CEC category. I have total 10 years of experience out of which I have worked in Canada for 13 months in 2014-15 and rest of the time in one of Indian MNC. I have got a reference letter for Canadian work having salary, benefits, working hours and list of duties, duration etc.

My question is: Will I need similar letter for Indian experience as well? I don't think my employer will provide it. Or I will need just a traditional letter having employment duration and designation will work? I can easily get traditional experience letter. I have all payslips, offer letter, promotion letters etc.

Please help.

Thanks.
 

PrettyCanada

Hero Member
Feb 17, 2015
386
14
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hi Amisnic,

Thanks for reply.

Just to clarify, I said it is difficult to get letter which mentions responsibilities. I can easily get traditional experience letter (without job duties).
 

Amisnic

Champion Member
Mar 28, 2014
1,155
47
Visa Office......
Sydney NS
NOC Code......
NOC 2133
App. Filed.......
30-04-2014
AOR Received.
22-05-2014
Med's Done....
20-03-2015
LANDED..........
02-06-2015
Ok, all good then yaar.




PrettyCanada said:
Hi Amisnic,

Thanks for reply.

Just to clarify, I said it is difficult to get letter which mentions responsibilities. I can easily get traditional experience letter (without job duties).
 

shibaak

Hero Member
Feb 13, 2015
465
25
shibaak said:
Hi.
I need your advice on this situation.

I worked in a company for 2 years. But I left there a few months ago.
My supervisor also left there at the same time. And i did not get an employment letter.

Now I have all pay stubs, even my cheques, T4s and NOAs, job offer letter on company letterhead, etc.
However, the new supervisor does not know me and did not accept to give me the employment letter.
But my own supervisor accepted to give me the employment letter and to notorize it.
I can also include a notorized letter saying why i could not include that letter.
Do you think that these letters are enough for me to prove my job experience?

I should mention that I am going to apply under FSW program, not CEC.
Is this letter enough?

Please help me. I am so confused in this.
Seriously? Does anybody see my posts???????
 

Amisnic

Champion Member
Mar 28, 2014
1,155
47
Visa Office......
Sydney NS
NOC Code......
NOC 2133
App. Filed.......
30-04-2014
AOR Received.
22-05-2014
Med's Done....
20-03-2015
LANDED..........
02-06-2015
Your old supervisor's letter will be fine.

Don't stress out too much.

In addition get your HR to write a letter indicating your position, salary and dates.

These will be sufficient.

+1 me ...............


shibaak said:
Hi.
I need your advice on this situation.

I worked in a company for 2 years. But I left there a few months ago.
My supervisor also left there at the same time. And i did not get an employment letter.

Now I have all pay stubs, even my cheques, T4s and NOAs, job offer letter on company letterhead, etc.
However, the new supervisor does not know me and did not accept to give me the employment letter.
But my own supervisor accepted to give me the employment letter and to notorize it.
I can also include a notorized letter saying why i could not include that letter.
Do you think that these letters are enough for me to prove my job experience?

I should mention that I am going to apply under FSW program, not CEC.
Is this letter enough?

Please help me. I am so confused in this.
 

fabricland

Full Member
Jul 19, 2015
42
0
Experts. Require your help regarding reference letters. I left one job two years back and now I am in discussion with my ex supervisor to provide me the reference letter. My query is ideally what should be the date on this letter. Should it be of two years back at the time of my resignation or present date. Thanks in advance.
 

OhWow

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2015
545
14
fabricland said:
Experts. Require your help regarding reference letters. I left one job two years back and now I am in discussion with my ex supervisor to provide me the reference letter. My query is ideally what should be the date on this letter. Should it be of two years back at the time of my resignation or present date. Thanks in advance.
The date should always be the date when the letter was written. So if it was written today, it has today's date on it - anything else would be a false statement. The date is unimportant, the content of the letter is important. And a letter reflecting your work can be written at any time.
 

Telitos

Star Member
Jan 30, 2016
66
3
Hi,

I obtained what I think is pretty well crafted employment letter from my manager, however only my hourly wage is mentioned along with my hours per week and employment period for each position. There is no mention of an annual salary. That is because I was paid hourly and my wage increased twice within two years.

If the letter mentions each position change, each hourly wage increase as well as the number of hours per week, should I worry about the fact that there is no mention of an annual salary or is this acceptable?

Thank you!
 

jes_ON

VIP Member
Jun 22, 2009
12,092
1,420
Category........
Visa Office......
New York
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-May-2010
AOR Received.
13-Aug-2010
File Transfer...
01-Mar-2011
Passport Req..
30-Jun-2011
VISA ISSUED...
12-Jul-2011 (received 25-Jul-2011)
LANDED..........
03-Sep-2011
Telitos said:
I obtained what I think is pretty well crafted employment letter from my manager, however only my hourly wage is mentioned along with my hours per week and employment period for each position. There is no mention of an annual salary. That is because I was paid hourly and my wage increased twice within two years.

If the letter mentions each position change, each hourly wage increase as well as the number of hours per week, should I worry about the fact that there is no mention of an annual salary or is this acceptable?
You don't earn an annual salary, so your letter shouldn't say that you do : ) What you have is complete, true, and perfectly acceptable.
 

flashlight

Full Member
Feb 3, 2017
35
2
rambo2011 said:
Employment Reference Letters:
ORIGINAL or CERTIFIED/NOTARIZED COPIES

So guys, monthly salary is fine??? in my country no one give annual salary :(

Letters of reference from your employers constitute a key component of your application for Permanent Residence.

IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A REFERENCE FROM YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER, PLEASE PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION.

As a general rule, reference letters must be issued with a date, signed by a supervisory officer at the place of employment. They MUST be on original company’s letterhead, showing the company’s full address, contact details, and be stamped with the company’s official seal.

Letters from your current and former (if any) employers describing your work experience are a very important part of your application. These letters should be detailed and must show the Canadian Immigration officer that you performed certain work activities for a specific duration in accordance with your skills and qualifications.
The letter(s) should clearly describe the duties and tasks of your particular position.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Letters that only indicate position, salary, and a statement that “he was a very good employee and we would hire him again” may not be sufficient! These letters are missing the important details of the applicant’s performance while working with the company.

• Employment Reference letters must include the following:
-the specific period of your employment with the company;
-the position(s) you have held during the period of employment and the time spent in each position
-your main responsibilities in each position;
-if possible, your total annual salary

Elements of A Good Employment Letter (Worksheet)

A good job related reference letter gives many details. It lists the projects you worked on, and the achievements you accomplished. Very importantly, it should also describe your day-to-day duties and tasks. These daily tasks may seem mundane, but they often demonstrate that you perform the duties of a certain position, and that you possess the required basic skills. It is important that the letter demonstrates that you know the basic skills of your position, and that you have already been trained in them.

We are aware that a strong reference letter is sometimes not easy to obtain.
At a minimum, the letter should state your position, the length of your employment, salary, and a summary of your duties.
Employment Letter Problems?

• Sometimes people are reluctant to ask their employer for such letters, for fear that the employer will become suspicious of them. If this is the case, then you may ask colleagues or even reputable well-known customers you have worked with to write an employment letter for you.

• Letters from colleagues must be notarized, and should state that he/she has worked with you, and witnessed you performing certain duties. Letters from clients do not need to be notarized if they are printed on the client's official letterhead.

• In those cases where employment letters are not available, or where letters from colleagues or clients are substituting, as many of the following additional documents should be provided to our office as possible:

• tax documents
• pay slips
• performance appraisals
• contracts,
• promotion letters or letters of appointment
• previous immigration documents (such as H1 Visa applications from the USA)
• letters sometimes provided by employers for banking purposes, in which the letter confirms your position and salary; this kind of letter may be available from your Personnel/Human Resources Department.

Please note that these substitutes may be provided, even in the case that you are able to obtain a good employment letter as detailed above. Providing us with such documents can help us to better demonstrate credibility of your employment history, which may facilitate your application, or the chance of an interview waiver.



Generally a reference letter is written as follows:

[Company Letter Head]

[Date]

To whom it may concern,

[Applicant] has been employed by [employer] from [start date] to [end date], in the position of [position or job title]. His/her monthly/annual salary was [salary]

In this position, he/she had the following duties and responsibilities:

[list of duties and responsibilities]

Additionally, [any additional information]

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any more information

Sincerely,

[Name of supervisor]
[Signature of supervisor]
[Business card of supervisor attached if possible]

The description, duties and responsibilities on the letter should closely resemble, but not be an exact copy of, those expected of an employee working in your NOC code.

If your company will not issue such a letter, you should take every step to obtain official documentation from the company listing your job duties and responsibilities. As well, these other alternatives may be used, however they may not always work. It is always better to obtain an original letter of reference directly from a supervisor or HR.
[/list]
 

ajufsd

Full Member
Mar 21, 2017
45
0
36
Bangalore and Kerala
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Desi office in India
NOC Code......
1312 and 2171
App. Filed.......
May 30, 2016
Doc's Request.
March 24, 2017
AOR Received.
June 04, 2017
Hello,


I have a scenario in which I would be submitting two ref. letters for same company.

Letter 1
My ex-employer gives only 5 responsibilities (I made this 5 points to cover 80% of noc roles) in my reference letter (will send me as an email in their letter head - sof copy) and do not provide stuffs like salary, hours etc - his is clearly mentioned in the email communication that I made with the HR. Also, it do not state the name of my supervisor that time. I will get this letter this week; but I do not feel this is sufficient.

Letter 2



One of my ex senior colleague (still in my old company) is ready to provide the letter in the required format. I am planning to get a letter from him like the below.

"I, Mr. YYY confirm that Mr. xxx was working with qqq in designation dddddd from mmddyy to mmddyy. I have known the mentioned employee through his work experience with us and I was his senior employee in the same team.

Mr.xxx was working in the Claims Team of an industry leading Insurance client of xxx as a xxxx. He was a Full Time Employee and his working hours were 45 hours a week. He was compensated with Rs.** annually.

Other than the duties mentioned in the reference letter that the employee obtained officially from xxx Ltd, he was also responsible for the jobs mentioned below.

1.
2.
3.

The mentioned employee has excellent blah blah blah. I believe that Mr. xxx will be a strong asset to any organization. I recommend him to you without reservation and wish him all the best for his future.

Regards,

Mr. xxxx
Designation - He moved into a different team as a team lead now. should I mention his designation now or his designation before?
Phone (Mobile - office number is not possible to give)
Email Id: official, personal - official ID is not safe for my senior to give as all mails are tracked and he is a bit worried on that. Is only personal mail will do? Or will just give the official ID without any worries? OR both are required? ""

Should this letter be prepared in stamp paper and notarized?

If I give both letters like this (company one and senior employee one), will it create any problem??? I hope providing more documents will not harm.


Seniors, kindly resolve my queries.....
 

ajufsd

Full Member
Mar 21, 2017
45
0
36
Bangalore and Kerala
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Desi office in India
NOC Code......
1312 and 2171
App. Filed.......
May 30, 2016
Doc's Request.
March 24, 2017
AOR Received.
June 04, 2017
Kindly help me on the below... :-[

ajufsd said:
Hello,


I have a scenario in which I would be submitting two ref. letters for same company.

Letter 1
My ex-employer gives only 5 responsibilities (I made this 5 points to cover 80% of noc roles) in my reference letter (will send me as an email in their letter head - sof copy) and do not provide stuffs like salary, hours etc - his is clearly mentioned in the email communication that I made with the HR. Also, it do not state the name of my supervisor that time. I will get this letter this week; but I do not feel this is sufficient.

Letter 2



One of my ex senior colleague (still in my old company) is ready to provide the letter in the required format. I am planning to get a letter from him like the below.

"I, Mr. YYY confirm that Mr. xxx was working with qqq in designation dddddd from mmddyy to mmddyy. I have known the mentioned employee through his work experience with us and I was his senior employee in the same team.

Mr.xxx was working in the Claims Team of an industry leading Insurance client of xxx as a xxxx. He was a Full Time Employee and his working hours were 45 hours a week. He was compensated with Rs.** annually.

Other than the duties mentioned in the reference letter that the employee obtained officially from xxx Ltd, he was also responsible for the jobs mentioned below.

1.
2.
3.

The mentioned employee has excellent blah blah blah. I believe that Mr. xxx will be a strong asset to any organization. I recommend him to you without reservation and wish him all the best for his future.

Regards,

Mr. xxxx
Designation - He moved into a different team as a team lead now. should I mention his designation now or his designation before?
Phone (Mobile - office number is not possible to give)
Email Id: official, personal - official ID is not safe for my senior to give as all mails are tracked and he is a bit worried on that. Is only personal mail will do? Or will just give the official ID without any worries? OR both are required? ""

Should this letter be prepared in stamp paper and notarized?

If I give both letters like this (company one and senior employee one), will it create any problem??? I hope providing more documents will not harm.


Seniors, kindly resolve my queries.....