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Express Entry Work History and Referenece Letter Queries

amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
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Hi,

I created an EE profile and waiting ITA.
Currently I took 2 years of Leave Without Pay from my current employer and is doing my studies in Canada.
My company won't provide a letter stating my roles and responsibilities on the letter head, instead they will only provide a letter stating that I am an employee of them and my designation. So as advised by the seniors in this forum, I was planning to take a reference letter with roles and responsibilities and hours of work from a senior colleague with his ID card also notarized and will submit the standard letter given by my company, my pay slips, offer and appointment letter and a Letter of Explanation.

But now I am confused as I am on leave without pay(From JANUARY 2018), I won't be having pay slips after January to submit as a proof, but I am still their employee. Is taking leave without pay cause a problem? Kindly advise what to do.
 
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DelPiero07

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Oct 2, 2016
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Well I mean, it's not like you are claiming work experience for the time that you have been on unpaid leave right? right?

No issue.
 
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andy108

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Nov 26, 2015
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You can claim points, while you were employed and working, your leave should not in theory be counted toward the work experience.
 
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amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
11
Well I mean, it's not like you are claiming work experience for the time that you have been on unpaid leave right? right?

No issue.
The thing is in the work history of EE profile, I had given that it is current job. If don't give that wouldn't that be a lie, since I am still thier employee and a standard letter they give will have stated that I am thier employee. Should I change my work history and state my end date there(currently no end date)?

Also is paid leave considered as experience?
 

amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
11
You can claim points, while you were employed and working, your leave should not in theory be counted toward the work experience.
Okay, thank you. So I should put an End date on my work history, which will be the day when the when the Leave Without Pay starts. Will that be enough? Kindly advise.
 

DelPiero07

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Oct 2, 2016
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The thing is in the work history of EE profile, I had given that it is current job. If don't give that wouldn't that be a lie, since I am still thier employee and a standard letter they give will have stated that I am thier employee. Should I change my work history and state my end date there(currently no end date)?
What you have to understand is by doing so you are claiming a period of work experience which is not valid. That is, you are not working and you are not getting paid.

State the work period until you were working/paid, if you are so concerned you can add a LOE regarding the situation.
 
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amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
11
What you have to understand is by doing so you are claiming a period of work experience which is not valid. That is, you are not working and you are not getting paid.

State the work period until you were working/paid, if you are so concerned you can add a LOE regarding the situation.
Okay thank you very much for the clarification, so I will add an End Date to my work history which will be the first day of my Leave Without Pay and explain my case in the LOE
Could you please confirm if Paid Leaves will be an issue? Since I took like 30 paid leaves in last 2 months.
 

DelPiero07

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Oct 2, 2016
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Okay thank you very much for the clarification, so I will add an End Date to my work history which will be the first day of my Leave Without Pay and explain my case in the LOE
Could you please confirm if Paid Leaves will be an issue? Since I took like 30 paid leaves in last 2 months.
Usually an acceptable period of paid leave or vacations can be counted as part of valid work experience. That number though is a bit insane so I cannot give you a definite answer.

That being said if without counting those leaves you still have the X number of years of work experience that you are claiming then it will not pose an issue.
 
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amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
11
Usually an acceptable period of paid leave or vacations can be counted as part of valid work experience. That number though is a bit insane so I cannot give you a definite answer.

That being said if without counting those leaves you still have the X number of years of work experience that you are claiming then it will not pose an issue.
Okay, thank you. I am having 4 years of experience as of January 2018. I think CRS is given for 3 years or more is same. Also for FSW, there is no particular points given for 3-4 years section as well. Also the standard letter I get from the office stating I am thier employee will be on the date I ask for them to give.

I started my leave on December 11,2017 as I come to Canada for my higher studies. So in your opinion, should I give the end date as December 2017 or January 2018? I can get the reference letter from senior colleague with that particular date.

Kindly advise.
 
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DelPiero07

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Oct 2, 2016
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Okay, thank you. I am having 4 years of experience as of January 2018. I think CRS is given for 3 years or more is same. Also for FSW, there is no particular points given for 3-4 years section as well.

I started my leave on December 11,2017 as I come to Canada for my higher studies. So in your opinion, should I give the end date as December 2017 or January 2018? I can get the reference letter from senior colleague with that particular date.

Kindly advise.
Although the maximum years of foreign work experience for CRS purposes that can be claimed is 3 years such is NOT the same for your eligibility under the FSW program (The six selection factors in which one must score at least 67 out of 100 points to be eligible). In those factors one can claim up to 6 years of work experience so there is indeed a difference between the points given for 3 years and 4 years of work experience.

Your reference letter can mention your work experience up to the exact date where you were working/getting paid. You can then explain those paid leaves in a LOE. I still do not fully comprehend those 30 leaves so it is best for you to state your situation to the processing officer.
 

amalmathew

Star Member
Sep 19, 2017
139
11
Although the maximum years of foreign work experience for CRS purposes that can be claimed is 3 years such is NOT the same for your eligibility under the FSW program (The six selection factors in which one must score at least 67 out of 100 points to be eligible). In those factors one can claim up to 6 years of work experience so there is indeed a difference between the points given for 3 years and 4 years of work experience.

Your reference letter can mention your work experience up to the exact date where you were working/getting paid. You can then explain those paid leaves in a LOE. I still do not fully comprehend those 30 leaves so it is best for you to state your situation to the processing officer.
Okay, Thank you :)
Basically in FSW I have 70 points by claiming 4 year experience(till Jan 2018) and if I state my last day of work being Dec 2017, it will be 3 years and 11 months(I am not sure how CIC will be marking that since I didn't see any option given for 3-4 years of experince, is there any particular point for that?). Even if it is 2-3 years I end up having 68 points.

And regarding reference letter I should probably state that I started my earned leave from so and so date and my leave without pay from so and so date and the reasons for taking the leave. Hopefully that will be enough I believe.
 
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