As an Immigration Consultant in Vancouver, Racer Immigration knows that most economic immigration programs require applicants to have qualifying work experience. As proof, applicants are required to provide references letters from employers. But how immigration officers view such letters and determine eligibility requirements is an important step that requires serious consideration.
When determining if the experience listed on a reference letter qualifies, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses the National Occupational Classification system (NOC).
For example, federal skilled workers need to have at least one year of full-time experience in their primary occupation (or the equivalent of part-time) in the last ten years before they apply. In the Canadian experience class, they need to have at least one year of full-time experience in one or more occupations listed on the NOC website in the three years before they applied for permanent residence.
According to the Federal Court of Canada, Canadian immigration law “does not mandate a microscopic analysis of an applicant’s experience according to the exact terminology of the titles or duties listed in the NOC.”
When compiling reference letters from employers, it’s important to remember the following:
- Reference letters should clearly state all duties, as this is how occupations are assessed.
- Applicants should provide a copy of the NOC to their employers since the website contains duties/tasks/skiils some employers might not think to mention.
- It is important that employers should not copy/paste from the NOC website, as this leads to credibility concerns.
No one should fail their immigration application because of an insufficient reference letter. As an Immigration Consultant in Vancouver, Racer Immigration is happy to advise those undertaking the process.
To learn more about different economic immigration programs and their requirements, contact Racer Immigration at (778) 688-4848 or visit https://racerimmigration.com/.