If you are currently applying for Canadian permanent residence under the Express Entry system, you must submit proof of the work experience in your profile so that immigration officers can verify your work experience history.
Once you have submitted your application for permanent residence, Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will confirm all the information provided is correct. For Express Entry, you will need to provide supporting documentation for your work experience history.
For example, you will need a reference letter. A reference letter for immigration is not the same as a reference letter when applying for a job, and if you are self-employed, a reference letter is not going to work. You will need other supporting provide documents like articles of incorporation or other evidence of business ownership, proof of self-employed income, documentation from third parties confirming your services (including payment details). Additionally, you may want to include other documents like employment contracts, promotion letters, pay stubs, sworn declarations from current and former colleagues.
While verifying Canadian work experience, immigration officers may request your tax documents (T4s, Notice of Assessments), which helps the officer determine that your work experience in Canada was not self-employed, as self-employed Canadian work experience is not considered for Canadian Experience Class eligibility. You should also provide a copy of your work and study permits so that the officer can confirm whether you carried out your work on valid authorization.
If you do not sufficiently provide a reference letter that verifies your work history, the IRCC may return your application to you as incomplete. Your application for permanent residence, is subject to a completeness check, and if the immigration officer will goes through all of your supporting documents and to ensure all supporting documents are returns your application as incomplete, you will need to submit your application again. When applying through Express Entry, this may mean waiting to receive another Invitation to Apply (ITA). It is also worth noting that you absolutely must not even consider submitting a reference letter that you wrote, or provided fraudulent documentation is considered misrepresentation. Misrepresentation is taken very seriously and if charged, you could receive a five-year ban from Canada.
We suggest that even if you have a basic grasp of this process, you contact us, and we will work with you and ensure that you gain entry legally and legitimately.