Reference Letter addressed to USCIS ok?

[Xtensio]

Hi,

still can’t believe it but I just received an ITA for today’s draw. I do have most of the required documents besides a reference letter from my current employer.

However, I do have a 13 month old signed reference letter for the USCIS that’s lists all my duties and fulfills the IRCC requirements besides to points:

1. Salary is not listed (I do have the W2s, so I think that should be a problem, right?)
2. The letter is addressed to the field office of the USCIS in California.
Will that be a problem? I couldn’t find this requirement on the IRCC website.

I’d rather not ask for a new reference letter to avoid further and probably serious problems. Employer wouldn’t be to happy to see me move to Canada ;-)

Thanks for your help

 

[lampbreaker]

The fact that it is addressed to USCIS will not matter as long as it provides all the necessary details. However, being 13 months old can be a problem since this is for your current job. You need a more recent letter for your current job. If it was for a past job, that would have been fine.

 

[jes_ON]

Hi,

still can’t believe it but I just received an ITA for today’s draw. I do have most of the required documents besides a reference letter from my current employer.

However, I do have a 13 month old signed reference letter for the USCIS that’s lists all my duties and fulfills the IRCC requirements besides to points:

1. Salary is not listed (I do have the W2s, so I think that should be a problem, right?)
2. The letter is addressed to the field office of the USCIS in California.
Will that be a problem? I couldn’t find this requirement on the IRCC website.

I’d rather not ask for a new reference letter to avoid further and probably serious problems. Employer wouldn’t be to happy to see me move to Canada ;-)

If you use a 13-month old reference letter, you won´t get credit for past 13 months. If you need the work experience, you need a new letter, and it should contain ALL the required details, esp. job duties and responsibilities.

See Proof of Work Experience,
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/express-entry/applications-received-on-after-january-1-2016-completeness-check.html

 

[Xtensio]

If you use a 13-month old reference letter, you won´t get credit for past 13 months. If you need the work experience, you need a new letter, and it should contain ALL the required details, esp. job duties and responsibilities.

See Proof of Work Experience,
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/express-entry/applications-received-on-after-january-1-2016-completeness-check.html

I have 4 years of job experience without counting the last 13 month. So I don't "need" to proof 13 more month.

The "USCIS-Letter" contains all the information (job duties, hours worked, name, stamp, letterhead...) except of the salary. I was planning to add my W2 as a proof and maybe even my current Visa and my Contract. I would explain my situation in a LoE

Should that be fine with CIC or do they really want to see the salary on the reference letter no matter what?

 

[Xtensio]

If you use a 13-month old reference letter, you won´t get credit for past 13 months. If you need the work experience, you need a new letter, and it should contain ALL the required details, esp. job duties and responsibilities.

See Proof of Work Experience,
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/express-entry/applications-received-on-after-january-1-2016-completeness-check.html

I don't need that credit for the 13 month since I do have more than 3 years either way. But you think it doesn't matter that its addressed to USCIS?

 

[ContactFront]

If your CRS remains above cutoff without this job and your eligibility is not affected either if you are applying under FSW, you can remove it from work history, put it in personal history and there's no need to submit any documents. Just provide a brief explanation in LOE.

 

[lampbreaker]

I have 4 years of job experience without counting the last 13 month. So I don't "need" to proof 13 more month.

The "USCIS-Letter" contains all the information (job duties, hours worked, name, stamp, letterhead...) except of the salary. I was planning to add my W2 as a proof and maybe even my current Visa and my Contract. I would explain my situation in a LoE

Should that be fine with CIC or do they really want to see the salary on the reference letter no matter what?

They can use W2 as secondary evidence of a paid job. I did the same. I also used USCIS letter for my application, but it was for a past job.
You can also divide your experience into two parts, one that is covered by the letter and keep the rest in personal history (remove from work history). Provide a letter of explanation. However, instead of doing all this jugglery it is better to just provide a current letter. I understand that you may have apprehensions about asking for that letter. You can tell the employer that you need for a Canadian Visa application (which is not untrue).

 

[jes_ON]

I have 4 years of job experience without counting the last 13 month. So I don't "need" to proof 13 more month.
To be eligible for the FSW program under the selection factors, IRCC makes use of up to 6 years of foreign work experience (qualifying score of 67 points). If you need it to qualify for FSW, you need to provide "proof."

If this experience neither contributes to your FSW eligibility, nor adds to your CRS score, then it does not need to be in your profile - you could safely omit it. (Of course, you would need to include it in your personal history).

The "USCIS-Letter" contains all the information (job duties, hours worked, name, stamp, letterhead...) except of the salary. I was planning to add my W2 as a proof and maybe even my current Visa and my Contract. I would explain my situation in a LoE

If you don´t need it, then none of this really matters, you could safely omit this. But if you want to keep it "just in case", you can provide the letter you have, the W2s, and the LOE. if you have any old paystubs, or the contract indicates the salary, then you could include that too, just for the sake of completeness.

It really does not matter that the letter is addressed to someone else.

 

[Xtensio]

Thanks for your help guys.

I added all W2, paystubs etc and submitted the document today.

AOR just received )))

 

[Bishtvaishali]

Thanks for your help guys.

I added all W2, paystubs etc and submitted the document today.

AOR just received )))

Did you use the reference letter that was addressed to USCIS? If yes, then did it work?

 

[Xtensio]

No, we ended up using a document addressed to “whom it may concern”