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SDS study permit: proving work experience when you don't have the original joining letter

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • ITR (Income Tax Returns)

    Can help establish you were genuinely employed by the organization, even without a joining/offer letter.

  • Form 16

    Another document members pointed to as sufficient proof of bona fide employment when a joining letter is missing.

  • Offer of employment / subsequent joining letter

    The standard document — only needed as a substitute if you don't have it and can prove employment another way.

Step-by-Step

A member asked for the SDS study permit document checklist, specifically flagging that they lack a joining letter for their work experience but do have ITR and Form 16.

  1. A missing joining letter isn't necessarily a dead end. Members confirmed that if your ITR, Form 16, or similar documents establish that you were a genuine (bona fide) employee of the organization, that can be sufficient to substitute for the missing offer/joining letter.

  2. There are multiple ways to prove work experience beyond the standard offer-and-joining-letter combination — the underlying goal is simply demonstrating you actually worked there, so alternate paperwork that proves that is acceptable.


Takeaway: if you're missing a joining letter, gather your ITRs, Form 16, and any other documents that clearly tie you to the employer and the employment period, and include those in place of (or alongside) the missing letter.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Use ITR and Form 16 as substitute proof of employment if you don't have your original offer/joining letter.
  • Tip: The goal is proving you genuinely worked there — any document set that clearly establishes that can work.

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