Key takeaways
- The offer letter must be on company letterhead and include your name and the company’s address, telephone number and email
- It must show the name, title and signature of your proposed supervisor or personnel officer
- It must include a commitment to continuous, paid, full-time work for at least one year after a PR visa is issued
- Only the principal applicant submits the offer letter
- A missing mandatory document means the application “will be rejected as incomplete”
- This is IRCC’s staff instruction, and it may change after November 3, 2026
Where this checklist comes from
The list below comes from IRCC’s Express Entry completeness check instructions. These are IRCC’s instructions to its own staff, published on canada.ca. They are not a page written for applicants.
The public job offer page is shorter. It says the offer must be recent, be in writing, not be from an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada, and set out details of the job, such as your pay and deductions, your duties, and the conditions of employment like your hours of work. The staff instruction is more specific, so this article uses it for the checklist.
What the letter must include
IRCC says the letter “must be printed on company letterhead and include the applicant’s name, the company’s contact information (address, telephone number and email address), and the name, title and signature of the applicant’s proposed immediate supervisor or personnel officer.”
IRCC also says the letter must include these details:
| Detail | IRCC’s wording |
|---|---|
| Start date | Expected start date |
| Commitment | The applicant will be employed on continuous, paid, full-time work, for work that is for at least one year after issuance of a permanent resident visa |
| Job | Job title, and duties and responsibilities |
| Current job | Current job status (if current job) |
| Hours | Number of work hours per week |
| Pay | Annual salary plus benefits |
The “at least one year after PR” commitment
IRCC’s checklist asks for a commitment to continuous, paid, full-time work for at least one year after a PR visa is issued. This matches the rule in section 82(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. It defines arranged employment as an offer “for continuous full-time work in Canada having a duration of at least one year after the date on which a permanent resident visa is issued.” The job must be in a TEER 0 to 3 occupation, from a single employer other than an embassy, high commission or consulate.
So a letter that says only “permanent full-time” does not use IRCC’s checklist wording. We found no IRCC text that says a “permanent” or “indefinite” offer meets the commitment on its own. Ask your employer to include the commitment in the letter.
Who submits it, and what happens if it is missing
IRCC lists the offer letter under “Mandatory documents (if applicable).” It is “required only if the applicant claims to have a qualifying offer of arranged employment.” The instruction names “The principal applicant” as the person who must submit it. IRCC says that if mandatory documents are missing, the application “will be rejected as incomplete.”
IRCC does not say directly whether a spouse’s job offer earns points. The instruction names only the principal applicant as the submitter. Check IRCC’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria for your situation.
What may change on November 3, 2026
IRCC’s staff instruction was written before the November 3, 2026 changes. It still says that if there is an associated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the LMIA number is requested. The November 3 pages say no LMIA is needed. We did not find an updated version of the instruction when we checked on October 19, 2026. The list of letter contents may change.
For the points and LMIA steps, read Express Entry changes on November 3. For fixed-term offers, read job offers, fixed terms and fellowships.
What to do next
- Give your employer IRCC’s list above.
- Check that the letter is on letterhead and signed by your proposed supervisor or personnel officer.
- Check that it includes the one-year commitment, hours per week, and annual salary plus benefits.
- Check IRCC’s pages again before you submit, because the rules may change on November 3, 2026.
Read our Express Entry guide and use the document checklist generator.
Frequently asked questions
Does the offer letter need to be on letterhead?
Yes. IRCC says it must be printed on company letterhead.
Who must sign it?
IRCC says the letter includes the name, title and signature of your proposed immediate supervisor or personnel officer.
Is “permanent full-time” enough?
IRCC’s checklist asks for a commitment to continuous, paid, full-time work for at least one year after a PR visa is issued. A letter without that commitment does not match the checklist wording.
Who submits the offer letter?
IRCC’s instruction lists “The principal applicant.”
Sources
- IRCC: Express Entry completeness check (staff instructions) (checked October 19, 2026)
- IRCC: Express Entry, job offer
- Justice Laws: Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 82
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your situation, consult a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer.
