+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Urgent: How important are the benefits in the job reference letter?

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
My ITA deadline is tomorrow.
I finally have a reference letter with job title, duties, durations, annual wage etc, but how important are the benefits in the job reference letter?

At first I did not know what benefits meant, but know I heard its things like includes Dental, and Shares Schemes, or maybe holiday.

Well, I have private medical cover that the company pays for IF I want it. Its optional and I have to enroll into it separately, and does not come as standard. And then there is the holiday allowance.

Can I leave these out or should I ask my HR to add those in, and if so, how should I word it?
And more important, the deadline for submitting is TOMORROW, so I literally have to ask them tonight or early tomorrow morning to do this if they need to do anything further.
 

JoacRy

Champion Member
Oct 23, 2015
2,064
159
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
My ITA deadline is tomorrow.
I finally have a reference letter with job title, duties, durations, annual wage etc, but how important are the benefits in the job reference letter?

At first I did not know what benefits meant, but know I heard its things like includes Dental, and Shares Schemes, or maybe holiday.

Well, I have private medical cover that the company pays for IF I want it. Its optional and I have to enroll into it separately, and does not come as standard. And then there is the holiday allowance.

Can I leave these out or should I ask my HR to add those in, and if so, how should I word it?
And more important, the deadline for submitting is TOMORROW, so I literally have to ask them tonight or early tomorrow morning to do this if they need to do anything further.
I think its is crucial benefits be mentioned as they are incorporated into your Salary Package. send them an email or call them and ask them to include ASAP. It would be a shame to be rejected for a small thing like this.
 

wildemam

Hero Member
Nov 10, 2015
699
69
GTA
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
My ITA deadline is tomorrow.
I finally have a reference letter with job title, duties, durations, annual wage etc, but how important are the benefits in the job reference letter?

At first I did not know what benefits meant, but know I heard its things like includes Dental, and Shares Schemes, or maybe holiday.

Well, I have private medical cover that the company pays for IF I want it. Its optional and I have to enroll into it separately, and does not come as standard. And then there is the holiday allowance.

Can I leave these out or should I ask my HR to add those in, and if so, how should I word it?
And more important, the deadline for submitting is TOMORROW, so I literally have to ask them tonight or early tomorrow morning to do this if they need to do anything further.
The officer needs to make sure the reference letter satisfies the following:

The job offer

1- states your identity clearly.

2- states the claimed work period completely, and states the periods of more than month when you did not work (holidays, etc).

3- states the main title and the duties of your job, that proves that you worked in your selected NOC

4- states (and preferably proves) the payment(s) you received.

5- is on official company head letter.
 

Asivad Anac

VIP Member
May 27, 2015
10,632
1,394
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
My ITA deadline is tomorrow.
I finally have a reference letter with job title, duties, durations, annual wage etc, but how important are the benefits in the job reference letter?

At first I did not know what benefits meant, but know I heard its things like includes Dental, and Shares Schemes, or maybe holiday.

Well, I have private medical cover that the company pays for IF I want it. Its optional and I have to enroll into it separately, and does not come as standard. And then there is the holiday allowance.

Can I leave these out or should I ask my HR to add those in, and if so, how should I word it?
And more important, the deadline for submitting is TOMORROW, so I literally have to ask them tonight or early tomorrow morning to do this if they need to do anything further.
Not important. The salary mentions proves the fact that this was paid experience - all CIC really wants to know. Submit your application asap.

All the best!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Walle_007

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
wildemam said:

The officer needs to make sure the reference letter satisfies the following:

The job offer

(MAYBE?) 1- states your identity clearly. - It has my name and national insurance number. Should it have my date of birth maybe?

DONE 2- states the claimed work period completely, and states the periods of more than month when you did not work (holidays, etc).

DONE 3- states the main title and the duties of your job, that proves that you worked in your selected NOC

MAYBE 4- states (and preferably proves) the payment(s) you received. - It states my salary in the following way, is this good enough?
"Total annual contracted salary (excluding overtime) for this position was £xx,xxx GBP at 37.5 hours per week." which they put for each of my job titles when I got promoted. Is that worded well enough? Please let me know ASAP.


DONE 5- is on official company head letter.
 

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
Asivad Anac said:
Not important. The salary mentions proves the fact that this was paid experience - all CIC really wants to know. Submit your application asap.

All the best!
So why on earth do they want to know benefits, as the text from CIC says:



[quote author=CIC Website]Document: Employment Records

You must provide proof of work experience for your current job and for each past position you listed. Proof must include a reference letter from your employer and pay stubs, if you have them. The reference letter must:
* be an official document printed on company letterhead
* include your name, the company’s contact information (address, telephone number and e-mail address), the signature of your immediate
* show all positions held while employed at the company
* include these details: job title, duties/responsibilities, job status
(if current job), the dates you worked for the company, the number of work hours per week and your annual salary plus benefits. <---- WHYYY :(
[/quote]
 

Asivad Anac

VIP Member
May 27, 2015
10,632
1,394
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
So why on earth do they want to know benefits, as the text from CIC says:
Annual salary plus benefits is bureaucratese for "We just want to know that it was paid work experience not voluntary unpaid internship work".
 

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
Asivad Anac said:
Annual salary plus benefits is bureaucratese for "We just want to know that it was paid work experience not voluntary unpaid internship work".
OK, cos I can still ask my HR. My concern was just that we are runnning out of time, and also, if the benefits are optional and complex, then they might want to double check everything they write in that with their back office teams or legal teams, which will take longer.
 

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
My HR is currently requesting my contract from the back office team. It may contain holiday allowances etc. Should I bother including that? Or not?

And then secondly, payslips. I have them but....
I dont really want to include my pay slips as you guys have all said not to bother mentioning my student loan, but my pay slips will slow student loan repayments.

However the loans are dependant on income. If you dont earn enough or no job at all, you dont pay it back until you get a high enough paying job again. And explaining all this would confuse them even more, so hence I figured best to leave it out. But as its income dependant, it wont affect me if I am unemployed in Canada. As thats my concern from a proof of funds side. Nevertheless, if they see the student loan repayments on the pay slips, they may question or just outright reject......?
 

Asivad Anac

VIP Member
May 27, 2015
10,632
1,394
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
OK, cos I can still ask my HR. My concern was just that we are runnning out of time, and also, if the benefits are optional and complex, then they might want to double check everything they write in that with their back office teams or legal teams, which will take longer.
I have PR. There are many others on the forum who have got their PR. I can probably stake claim that, after CIC and CBSA, I rank third on the planet in the list of knowing people who have got their Canadian PR starting April 2015. And I can bet my last dollar on the fact that your application will not be refused just because your reference letter mentions annual wage but doesn't mention benefits.

All the best!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Walle_007

Asivad Anac

VIP Member
May 27, 2015
10,632
1,394
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
redfox05 said:
Nevertheless, if they see the student loan repayments on the pay slips, they may question or just outright reject......?
They won't question anything else as long as you conclusively prove to them that you have exclusive access to enough unfettered funds as required in your specific situation. Period.
 

AnnaBG

Hero Member
Nov 25, 2015
310
10
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Hey,

Just looked on one of my refference letters... it is for a 3 months job only but very important as one of those months give me the 3 years prior ITA experience.

My point is .. the letter seems short - not full 2 pages, 10 lines of duties, includes my name, salary, work period, benefits, working hours BUT the logo used to make it a letterhead paper is only on the first page.
Any problem with that?
 

Asivad Anac

VIP Member
May 27, 2015
10,632
1,394
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
AnnaBG said:
Hey,

Just looked on one of my refference letters... it is for a 3 months job only but very important as one of those months give me the 3 years prior ITA experience.

My point is .. the letter seems short - not full 2 pages, 10 lines of duties, includes my name, salary, work period, benefits, working hours BUT the logo used to make it a letterhead paper is only on the first page.
Any problem with that?
Unlikely to be a problem. If CIC doubts the contents or authenticity of a reference letter, they have means of doing background checks.
 

AnnaBG

Hero Member
Nov 25, 2015
310
10
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Thanks :)

Ohhh ... I just noticed that let the source of fund be with you is removed. :-X
 

redfox05

Star Member
Sep 26, 2015
192
14
United Kingdom
NOC Code......
2173 Software engineers and designers
App. Filed.......
25/01/2016
AOR Received.
25/01/2016
Med's Request
Upfront Medical
Med's Done....
29/01/2016
Passport Req..
07/06/2016
VISA ISSUED...
06/2016 (Not exact for security)
LANDED..........
07/2016 (Not exact for security)
Thanks all for the input.