by Cristina Zohil-Morton
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by Cristina Zohil-Morton
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Express Entry Employment History Letters Canada 2025: Required Format and Evidence
Express Entry employment letters are one of the most important and high-risk components of a permanent residence application. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does not approve applications based on job titles or generic HR confirmations alone. Officers review your employment letters to determine whether your work experience is skilled, genuine, and consistent with the TEER/NOC you have claimed in your Express Entry profile.
This guide explains how to draft strong Express Entry employment history letters in 2025, what IRCC expects to see, and how to provide supporting documentation that reduces the risk of refusal. If you need tailored assistance, you can contact us through the Zohil-Morton Law Contact Page or learn more about our permanent residence services and Express Entry representation.
Why Work History Letters Matter in Express Entry
For economic immigration pathways, IRCC must be satisfied that you performed skilled work in a qualifying TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation. Express Entry employment letters are the primary way you prove this. Officers assess whether:
- Your duties align with the core tasks of the claimed TEER/NOC
- Your hours and salary indicate genuine, paid work
- The dates match your profile and supporting documents
- The role appears credible for the employer and industry
If the employment letters are incomplete, vague, or inconsistent, IRCC may decide that your experience does not qualify as skilled work, recalculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, or refuse your application.
Core Requirements for Express Entry Employment Letters
Each employer should provide a letter that is:
- On official company letterhead
- Fated and signed by a supervisor, HR representative, or authorized officer
- Issued with full contact information for verification
The letter should clearly state:
- Your full name as used in employment records
- Your job title or titles held with the employer
- Start date and end date (or confirmation that the job is ongoing)
- Average hours worked per week
- Salary or hourly wage and benefits, where applicable
- A detailed list of your main duties and responsibilities
From an IRCC perspective, this level of detail allows the officer to determine whether your experience corresponds to the TEER/NOC claimed and whether the work is skilled, continuous, and genuine.
How to Describe Duties in Express Entry Employment Letters
The duties section is the most critical part of Express Entry employment letters. Officers compare your duties with the official TEER/NOC description to decide whether your work experience qualifies as skilled. Strong duty descriptions are:
- Specific to your role and industry
- Written in plain, professional language
- Consistent with the seniority and title of the position
- Aligned with the core tasks of your claimed TEER/NOC
Do not copy and paste entire TEER/NOC duty lists into your letter. This can appear contrived and may raise concerns that the letter was drafted solely for immigration purposes. Instead, describe what you actually did in the role, ensuring that your responsibilities overlap meaningfully with the official occupation profile.
Supporting Evidence for Express Entry Employment Letters
In most cases, Express Entry employment history letters should be supplemented by additional documentation to strengthen credibility. Supporting documents may include:
- Pay stubs or payroll summaries
- T4s and Notices of Assessment for Canadian work
- Foreign tax documents or income statements
- Employment contracts and signed offer letters
- Performance evaluations or internal HR confirmations
- Timesheets or schedules, where relevant to the role
These documents help demonstrate that your employment was genuine, paid, and continuous. They also assist officers in verifying the dates, hours, and compensation listed in your Express Entry employment letters.
When Employers Are Uncooperative or No Longer in Business
Some applicants cannot obtain ideal Express Entry employment letters because the company has closed, merged, or refuses to provide detailed information. In these situations, you may need to assemble a reasonable package of alternative evidence, such as:
- Copies of original employment contracts and offer letters
- Emails from corporate domains confirming role and responsibilities
- Pay statements and bank deposit records
- Tax filings that show income from the employer
- Corporate registry records showing the existence of the business during your employment period
IRCC understands that not all applicants can obtain perfect documentation, but they still expect a coherent body of evidence demonstrating that the work occurred as claimed. It is important to explain, in a brief letter of explanation, why an ideal letter is not available and how your supporting documents should be interpreted.
Express Entry Work History Letters After March 25, 2025
As of March 25, 2025, IRCC has removed job offer points from the CRS for Express Entry. This change does not eliminate the need for Express Entry employment letters; it changes their role.
Currently, employment letters are used primarily to:
- Prove that you performed qualifying skilled work
- Confirm your eligibility under the program you are applying through
- Support the CRS score you claimed in your profile based on work experience
In other words, Express Entry employment letters no longer generate CRS points for job offers, but they remain essential to confirm your qualifying work history. If your letters are weak, incomplete, or inconsistent with your Express Entry profile, IRCC may determine that you do not meet the criteria for the program or that your CRS score was not accurate.
Self-Employment and Contract Work
Self-employed or contractor work can sometimes count toward Express Entry, but it is assessed carefully. If you are relying on self-employment, you may need to provide:
- Business registration documents or professional licences
- Contracts or engagement letters with clients
- Invoices and payment confirmations
- Tax filings showing business income
Express Entry employment letters in these cases may come from clients rather than a traditional employer. However, IRCC will scrutinize the evidence to ensure that the work was skilled, substantial, and genuine, rather than nominal work created just for immigration purposes.
Presenting Express Entry Employment Letters in Your Application
To make your application easier to review, group employment documents logically. For each employer, you may choose to combine the following into a single, clearly labeled PDF:
- The employment letter on company letterhead
- Payroll evidence (pay stubs, tax slips)
- Contract or offer letter
- Any additional corroborating documents
Before submission, review your Express Entry employment letters and supporting documents together to confirm that:
- Dates match your work history and personal history
- Duties align with your claimed TEER/NOC
- Hours and salary look reasonable for the industry and role
- Names and job titles are consistent across all documents
Well-prepared employment documentation reduces the risk of additional document requests or refusals and demonstrates that you have approached your application with care.
Stay Informed
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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a licensed immigration professional regarding your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions: Express Entry Employment Letters
Do my duties need to match the TEER/NOC exactly?
No. IRCC expects your duties to align with the core tasks in the TEER/NOC, but they do not need to be an exact copy. The officer is assessing whether your real-world responsibilities reasonably correspond to that occupation.
Is it mandatory to include salary information in Express Entry employment letters?
Yes. IRCC expects to see salary or compensation details in employment letters to confirm that the work was genuine and paid. Missing salary information can weaken your evidence.
Can a coworker provide an employment letter if HR will not help?
Employment letters should normally come from a supervisor, HR representative, or an authorized officer of the company. Letters from coworkers are generally less persuasive and may not be accepted as primary proof of work experience.
Do I still need employment letters if I am applying under Canadian Experience Class?
Yes. Even though job offer points have been removed, IRCC still requires proof of qualifying Canadian work experience. Employment letters remain essential to show that your work was skilled and met program requirements.
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