Employment letters at your CURRENT job

[mira_johnson]

Hey guys,

I'm wondering if anyone is finding this as challenging as me, HOW and WHEN to ask for a reference letter from your CURRENT employer?
If you are like me, you are not planning to leave this employer until you absolutely have to, such as when (and if) finally getting the chance to move to Canada.

I am worried that my current employer will feel threatened by such a reference letter, thinking I am about to leave them. It is also possible that they will want me to leave, before I leave them-kind-of-scenario.
Do you have any good advice for how to obtain this reference letter from your current employer? What do you say? How honest can you be with a current employer that you want to stick with for a while longer?

Also, my question is WHEN to ask for this reference letter. Some employers may take a long time to complete such a letter. Say if I ask for it now (just to be on the safe side), they manage to complete in within two weeks, but then I don't receive an ITA for another 3-4 months, wouldn't the letter than be kind of "expired"?

Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated! PS I realize there may be many threads already on obtaining reference letters but so far I haven't been able to find an answer to this particular question. THANK YOU:::

 

[bellaluna]

I told the half-truth and said it was for a visa application, but I didn't say it was for an immigrant visa.

I requested by giving the CIC format then they responded for me to write the draft which they reviewed before signing.

It was easier for me as it's a small casual company, but I'm sure it's different for multinational corporations.

 

[Vivotul]

In my case I gave the reason that my wife is applying for physiotherapy license and for that reason she required my reference letter as well. So what my company has done is that they have given me the reference letter mentioning the above reason in my reference letter.So even if you give this reference letter, CIC is only concerned about your job duties mentioned in the reference letter.
I hope this will help you.

 

[Stanlee]

Hey guys,

I'm wondering if anyone is finding this as challenging as me, HOW and WHEN to ask for a reference letter from your CURRENT employer?
If you are like me, you are not planning to leave this employer until you absolutely have to, such as when (and if) finally getting the chance to move to Canada.

I am worried that my current employer will feel threatened by such a reference letter, thinking I am about to leave them. It is also possible that they will want me to leave, before I leave them-kind-of-scenario.
Do you have any good advice for how to obtain this reference letter from your current employer? What do you say? How honest can you be with a current employer that you want to stick with for a while longer?

Also, my question is WHEN to ask for this reference letter. Some employers may take a long time to complete such a letter. Say if I ask for it now (just to be on the safe side), they manage to complete in within two weeks, but then I don't receive an ITA for another 3-4 months, wouldn't the letter than be kind of "expired"?

Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated! PS I realize there may be many threads already on obtaining reference letters but so far I haven't been able to find an answer to this particular question. THANK YOU:::

Did you check this thread? http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/nail-the-challenge-of-getting-reference-letter-from-current-employer-t397796.0.html

 

[mira_johnson]

I told the half-truth and said it was for a visa application, but I didn't say it was for an immigrant visa.

I requested by giving the CIC format then they responded for me to write the draft which they reviewed before signing.

It was easier for me as it's a small casual company, but I'm sure it's different for multinational corporations.

Didn't they ask you more about what kind of visa application? I have thought about blaming my bank, that I am taking up some kind of loan or something e.g. mortgage.
By the way I'm also working for a small company Thanks for your reply

 

[mira_johnson]

In my case I gave the reason that my wife is applying for physiotherapy license and for that reason she required my reference letter as well. So what my company has done is that they have given me the reference letter mentioning the above reason in my reference letter.So even if you give this reference letter, CIC is only concerned about your job duties mentioned in the reference letter.
I hope this will help you.

Wow, that's interesting. I was thinking about giving them one main reason, but to also mention that I could need it for other purposes. After all, documenting your work experience never hurts and may be needed for various reasons. What about the timing, when did you request the reference letter? Before or after you received the ITA?

 

[mira_johnson]

Did you check this thread? http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/nail-the-challenge-of-getting-reference-letter-from-current-employer-t397796.0.html

THANK YOU, very helpful thread.
Does it mention somewhere WHEN to apply for the reference letter from your current employer??

 

[Stanlee]

THANK YOU, very helpful thread.
Does it mention somewhere WHEN to apply for the reference letter from your current employer??

For the current employer preferably try to get it after ITA.

 

[Vivotul]

Actually I wanted the reference letter for SINP application and they took full two weeks to issue the reference letter.They were trying to do all such things by which they would avoid me giving the reference letter but finally they gave me and at one moment I felt like I got my PR.

 

[bellaluna]

Didn't they ask you more about what kind of visa application? I have thought about blaming my bank, that I am taking up some kind of loan or something e.g. mortgage.
By the way I'm also working for a small company Thanks for your reply

They didn't, thankfully, but I had traveled to visa-required countries (for me) on authorized leave previously, so I guess they just assumed.

 

[mira_johnson]

For the current employer preferably try to get it after ITA.

This is what I was thinking too. Because wouldn't Canadian immigration want it to be as recent as possible?

 

[bellaluna]

This is what I was thinking too. Because wouldn't Canadian immigration want it to be as recent as possible?

Within the last 6 months is fine for a current COE.