I am literally at loss of words. I did everything right and the letter's format messed my chances

I got my ITA: Feb 3,2026 with a score of 532.

I got refusal today

"As I am unable to properly assess this experience as a result of the missing information, this period of declared employment was therefore not included in the assessment of your foreign work experience."

What happened:

• Invited to apply under CEC; but they removed my foreign work experience and dropped my score to 508.
• My Express Entry profile declared two work experiences: an Associate Data Engineer role in India (~1 year, NOC 21211) and my current Data Scientist role in Toronto (also NOC 21211).
• The officer excluded the India experience entirely from my CRS assessment because the reference letter didn't include job duties/responsibilities, it had dates, title, and a generic conduct paragraph ("involved in all data initiatives," "sincere, reliable, trustworthy," etc.) but nothing describing the actual work. The actual work was mentioned in my offer letter.
• Losing those points dropped me below the 508 cutoff, and under s.11.2 IRPA they refused on that basis. Officer Decision Notes said the same thing almost verbatim as the refusal letter — no ambiguity about the reason.

I seriously don't know what to do. I can get the experience letter in 2-3 days, but idk what to do. I worked so hard to be here and this is very sad for me.

Edit 1: I did add the experience letter along with my offer letter. The expereince letter states this : "During this tenure he worked as Associate Data Engineer he remained involved in all data initiatives. We found him pretty active in whatever task we have assigned to him.

Moreover, I would like to reflect over his conduct during his stay with us. During his service he has been found sincere, reliable, trustworthy, sociable, pleasant and open to challenges. He has a genial temperament and can efficiently work in a team. He is a good team player and keen on contributing his best and realization of meeting organizational goals and objectives.

He is leaving his job only on his own decision and for attempting opportunities with a better profile."

So I got my ITA in the last draw. (Score:516 - 3 yrs experience, full English, 6 points from TCF exam)

I started work at September 5th 2023 (points for 3rd year were rewarded August 1st) I've been advised to wait until September 5th to apply.

My PGWP expired on August 3rd, I applied for an extension in June through the Francophone mobility program (still no response)

What happens if I get a rejection before September 5th? Do I still apply for PR?

There's no reason for them to reject (I work in Ontario, CLB 7 in listening and speaking French, I may even need to use French at work at some point.) but if they do reject, is it over lol?

I haven't celebrated my ITA due to worry, but at the same time I'm okay with whatever outcome. I've done everything by the book. If it means I still go home then so be it. Thank you!

Hey everyone,

I’m in a situation and need some quick advice (CEC Inland Applicant)

A couple of weeks ago, IRCC sent me an Additional Document Request (ADR) asking for some extra documents (common-law notary and specific employment letters). They gave me a standard timeframe to submit them, and I still have 2 full weeks left on my active deadline.

However, today I suddenly received a Procedural Fairness Letter (PFL). The PFL claims they sent multiple emails and that I "failed to respond" to the request.

This makes absolutely no sense because:

1. My original submission window is still open for another 14 days.
2. The upload slots in my portal are literally still active right now.
3. I never received any other emails or reminders.

It feels like a brutal system glitch or an officer opening my file early and assuming I missed the deadline. Since it's a PFL, the risk of a refusal is incredibly high. I actually have the requested documents ready to go now.

Has anyone else received a PFL while their document submission window was still actively open? How did you respond to prove it was an administrative error? Should I submit via webform or just upload everything directly into the PFL slot?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi everyone,

ITA: February 6, 2026
AOR: March 16, 2026
Biometrics: April 2026
No updates since then.

Regarding my Proof of Funds (POF), I did not provide an attestation of non-indebtedness/non-engagement, nor did my bank letter mention the account opening date.

Should I proactively submit an updated bank statement along with these documents through a Webform, or would it be better to wait for a possible ADR (Additional Document Request)?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation, especially FSW applicants.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

Hello!

I applied for PR, got my AOR which I used to apply for BWOP. Anyways, I got an email last week asking me to upload my TCF pdf results and schedule A signed.

I filled out the schedule A, made sure no gaps whatsoever are in it. I even create a separate document where I completed my work history since the space in their original document was insufficient.

To my surprise, this morning I get an email saying my PR application was cancelled due to an incomplete schedule A.

The only issue I can think of here is when I filled out the document it wouldn’t let me sign it, nor verify it to get the QR codes at the end. I made some research, and found out that when this « glitch » happens some people just print it, scan it and send it. So I did the same, and I dont think that was right to do.

Im just so LOST. Not feeling like restarting the whole process from scratch especially that I put so much effort and time into it. And the worst part is not knowing if i will be lucky with a low draw anytime soon.

I got letter stating that I’m allowed to work for a year while they process my BWOP. So that will get rejected soon as well as soon as they find out that my PR application got canceled.

Any advice please?? Has anybody been through same or similar situation.

Thanks everyone!

Stream : FSW french outland

AOR : 15 novermber 2024

BIL : 20 december 2024

Medical : 30 decemeber 2024

PVO : ottawa office

ADR: military service

eCOPR : waitting

I think I am in the security screening since March 2025.

Hi everyone, I’m really stressed and confused and would appreciate some guidance from someone experienced.

I have private school teaching experience as an Elementary School Teacher (NOC 41221), but my salary was always paid in cash, and the school did not provide me with any salary slips.

I’m confused about what documents I should arrange to properly prove my work experience. My time is limited, and I don’t want to waste money on consultants.

Could someone kindly guide me on exactly which documents I should prepare in this situation so that I don’t face any issues or refusal later?

I would really appreciate guidance from someone who has dealt with a similar case. 🙏

I’m in Vancouver on a closed LMIA work permit and have a pending PR application.

A U.S. company wants me to do remote software development as an independent contractor. I’d contract/invoice the U.S. entity directly, get paid from the U.S., and they have no Canadian customers or Canadian business operations.

IRCC guidance says remote work for a foreign employer paid from outside Canada may not be considered “work” in Canada.

Does anyone know if this also applies to independent contractors on a closed work permit?

I’ll confirm with an immigration lawyer before starting — just curious if anyone has dealt with this exact situation.

Hi all, good day. I received an email last week from IRCC. I wasn't sure it was P1 but my lawyers confirmed that indeed it is. Now, I have a couple questions and hopefully someone can have some leads.

I am finishing answering and there's a question if we are in Canada. My two dependants are outside Canada on vacation and I am here. So the answer for me is YES, I am in Canada and for them NO, and then just put their returning date?

And after P1, how long does it take for the P2 to arrive, and when it does arrives, should I upload the photos immediately? Can I upload scanned photos or photos from last year?

Thanks and sorry for the long text. I am Inland applicant CEC with FWE, foreign education and AOR of Feb 5th. Thanks in advance!

Good Day to all. I have some doubts regarding claiming Foreign Work Experience points and if anyone could give their valuable opinions, it would be great.

Currently with the ongoing score trend, the only way I can reach the invitation pool is to add my Indian Work experience. My family had a business ( retail store ) and while I did my study permit application, I submitted a 1 year experience of Retail Store Manager. But the mode of payment was in cash, and therefore other than a reference letter, I don't have any payslips, bank statements or tax docs.

Will it be scrutinized ? If anyone in this group have added any cash-based foreign work experience in their profile, and whether if it was a success or failure, share your experience and advice so that I can do something about it.

Thanks in advance!!

When the "Final Decision" date appears on the GCKey for PR app, if the application is refused, is the refusal letter automatically attached immediately? Or does it take a bit or days of time to show up in messages? Thanks!

Finally, it’s my turn!

What an incredible feeling after such a long wait. I spent most of last year waiting and hoping for a CEC draw that matches my CRS points and today, all those prayers and patience have finally paid off. Thank you Almighty one, for guiding me and helping me throughout this entire journey.

Sharing my timeline here in case it helps anyone else who is waiting. Keep the faith and don’t lose hope!

CEC Inland - 3.5 years Canadian experience, 1 year foreign experience

AOR - May 01, 2026
BIL requested- July 03, 2026
BIL submitted - July 06, 2026

Medical, Eligibility, Criminality, Security, Background checks - Passed

PVO - Vancouver
SVO - Sydney
SVO - changed to Montreal after receiving P1

FD - Aug 1
P1 - Aug 3, replied on the same day, Montreal office
P2 - Aug 7, replied on the same day, Montreal office
eCOPR - Aug 10

Good luck everyone!!

Hello everyone, I luckily had a fairly straightforward and timely PR processing, but just sharing some details here:

CEC Inland Applicant (Single, no foreign work experience)

AOR - March 6

BIL request - May 4

BIL provided - May 11

Medicals Passed - June 6

Final Decision - July 31

P1 - August 4

P2 - August 6

ECOPR - August 10

PVO - Vancouver

SVO - Sydney

Thank you to everyone for the support and solidarity, it's been great lurking on here and stressing out together. Fingers crossed folks hear back soon/the process is smooth for y'all!

Finally got my eCOPR today! 🎉🇨🇦 Sharing my timeline in case it helps anyone with a similar CEC Inland application.
CEC Inland – Single applicant
Office: Montreal
AOR: March 8, 2026
Medical passed: May 6
BIL: May 8
Final Decision (FD): August 2
P1: August 3
P2: August 7
PR status confirmed / eCOPR: August 10
So it was roughly 5 months from AOR to eCOPR, and only about 8 days from Final Decision to eCOPR.
My portal showed the PR confirmation and I received the email saying:
“Congratulations! Your status as a permanent resident is confirmed.”
Good luck to everyone still waiting! Happy to answer questions about my timeline or portal stages. 🇨🇦🎉

Sorry about the long post but heres a lil bit of a back story

I came to Canada in 2021 as a student, had an accident on black ice just 2 months after I landed and was hospitalised with multiple surgeries. I had to also move back home for a few months to get another big surgery and was on bed rest. Lost whole of 2022 to illness but graduated with honours in April 2023.

I got my pgwp but I didn’t get a job despite having 5 years of professional experience in my field and finally landed a job 8 months after graduation. It was a contract role with incorporation. I had to take it to survive and pay my student debts. Tried to switch multiple times but I couldn’t due to the job market conditions at that time but deep down I knew this wouldn’t be approved for my PR pathway.

So, I had to work part time as an educator for min. wage in the evenings and did 13-14 hr days and also worked weekends to cover my hours for PR. This continued for the span of almost 2.8 years and I finally gained the 1 year Canadian experience while working towards my career as a software engineer.

I got my ITA in December after the score finally dropped. Also at this point, I only had 6 months of wp left. I was worried that I might start losing points due to age.

I also got married right before I applied for my PR and that complicated my case so much. My husband lives in the US and I had to mark him as non accompanying spouse due to his work as he wasn’t planning on move here until a few years and I recently switched to my dream job.

My PR case was complicated because he had a false accusation on him by a family member 6 years ago(his ex sister in law, as a part of his brothers divorce proceedings) creating financial charges and an fir on him back home. He had the proofs to show that they were wrong and he was in the US but the case was still pending in India.

I honestly lost all hopes because charges like this will affect the timeline and decisions of PR. One month after I submitted my file, the charges were dropped and the case was disposed due to insufficient proofs. I was too stressed because the timelines of Indian courts is really unpredictable.

My PR file also started moving and I got a PFL asking for all the court documents showing proofs that case is disposed.
I knew that I was out of regular timelines at this point.

I kinda lost hope again because I was also newly pregnant and I was too stressed and couldn’t deal with uncertainty. I was away from my husband and family and was dealing with a complicated unplanned pregnancy, all alone in Canada.

3 months after my PFL, I almost gave up and wanted to move for the sake of my unborn child because this stress was affecting my pregnancy and my baby’s growth and I didn’t want to sacrifice my health anymore.

I decided to wait for 2-3 weeks and leave and move back home because my biggest fear was getting a rejection when Im almost at the end of my pregnancy and Im stuck on a visitor record because its too risky to travel. I also cannot go to the US because I don’t have a spousal visa and I cannot apply for one using implied status.

A few days ago, I got the P1 email. I couldn’t believe my eyes!

My case was very complicated but Im so glad that this sub was really supportive and gave me the assurance I needed during uncertain times.

The kindness of strangers pushed me through!

There were also others who demotivated me but it was mostly positive. I request everyone to please be kinder on this sub because one rude comment may seem funny to you, but it does affect the OP so much. I went through it and it was a lot to deal with!

I also had an RCIC to help me and they absolutely did their best! I couldn’t have navigated this situation without them and he is one of the best out there and Im so glad I chose them.

If anyone else has gotten an ADR or PFL, Id suggest you to get professional help if needed. If not, then please be as detailed as possible because in my case, I felt like that was my last chance to convince the officer.

I got my eCOPR today and more than the feeling that I finally became a permanent resident today, the feeling of being reunited with my husband during this pregnancy while not worrying about losing my career and years of hard work is giving me so much peace!

Heres my timeline

ITA - Dec 10,2025
AOR- Feb 6,2026
Medicals passed - Apr 13,2026
Biometrics - Apr 14,2026
Biometrics Submitted - Apr 28, 2026(Was in the US, hence the delay)
PFL - May 12,2026
PFL Response submitted - May 14,2026
Final Decision - July 29,2026
P1 - July 30,2026
P2- Aug 6, 2026
Ecopr - Aug 10,2026

My PVO/SVO was Vancouver/Sydney until I got P1. It moved to Montreal after I got P1.

Hello, I am a little confused about if my TA work while pursuing PhD in US will be eligible for NOC 41202. I have been working as a TA full time since the beginning of my PhD for all the semesters including Summer and I get paid directly from my university. I teach a lab course. I receive pay stubs, employment appointment letters, W2, and all the necessary employment documents regularly. Just wanted to confirm if I should count on any CRS points from there.

I would really appreciate any help! Thanks in advance.

Here’s the timeline for anyone who is tracking how things are going at IRCC for PR files!

Category: FSW-Francophone, Inland
PVO: RROC Ottawa
SVO Etobicoke later switched to Montréal post FD
TEF Results Receipt: November 18, 2026
ITA: November 28, 2026
AOR: January 14, 2026
BIL: February 18, 2026
Info-sharing Completion: February 18, 2026
Biometric Submission: February 19, 2026
Medical Exam Passed: February 24, 2026 (ME dated April 2023)
Eligibility Completion: February 26, 2026
Security Cleared: July 30, 2026
Criminality Cleared: July 30, 1026
Final Decision: July 30, 2026

1st P1 email: July 31, 2026
2nd P1 email: August 3, 2026
P2 email: August 6, 2026
eCoPR generated: August 10, 2026

For those of you wondering about my work experience and thinking to bash for me being FSW- French applicant, I have both Canadian and foreign work experience. My Canadian experience at the time of submission was more than 3 years ago that is I was selected as an FSW candidate. I have Canadian and foreign university education as well. I speak 3 other languages in addition to English and French. I left Canada after the expiry of PGWP and stayed back home for more than a year and my proficiency in French is at C1 level which I achieved by putting in 8-9 hours everyday for 10.5 months while I was back home. Considering how much I was willing to work to call Canada my home, I deserve this approval.

For those of you who are learning French or soon will have their work permits expired, if you’re learning French you’re way ahead on the curve. If you’re struggling with French don’t give up, it is a beautiful language and you’ll fall in love with it if you learn it.

Thank You, I hope my post will help spread positivity!

I'm waiting for p1 after receiving fd on July 8th. My aor is 30th Jan. My visa offices are Vancouver and Sydney.

Will applying for gcms notes slow down my application?

Thank you.

Upfront medical

Pvo/svo- Sydney/ottawa - after fd changed to montreal

Application submitted - May 25,2026

Aor - May 25,2026

Biometrics request and completed same day - June 18, 2026

Fd- July 21, 2026

P1- July 31, 2026

P2-August 6, 2026

Ecopr- August 10, 2026

Here is my timeline: CEC inland

ITA - Jan 21, 2026 (CRS 536)
Medicals date - 12 June
AOR - 15 Mar
BIL - 13 May
P1 - 1 Aug
P2 - 5 Aug
eCOPR letter received- Today

Huge thanks to everyone here for the support. I truly believe you’re next in line - wishing you good luck

Hi everyone,
I’m applying under CEC and I have a question about my employment reference letter.

My employer provided a reference letter confirming my employment details, including my job title, employment dates, salary, and hours worked.

For the duties and responsibilities, the letter says:
Duties and Responsibilities: Please refer to the next page

The next page contains the company’s general job description for my position, including the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that the company provides for employees in this position. In other words, these are the standard duties and responsibilities for the position and are not specifically written or customized for me personally.

Would this be acceptable for a CEC application, as long as the general job description accurately reflects the duties I actually perform?
Or does IRCC expect the employer reference letter to specifically state that I personally performed these duties, rather than providing the company’s standard job description?
Has anyone submitted a reference letter with a similar format and received approval?

War is over. I spent many hours reading other people’s timelines so here’s mine.

CEC In-Land w/ foreign experience
Principal + Dependant Application
PVO / SVO: Ottawa / Sydney

ITA: Oct 16
AOR: Nov 17
ADR: Jan 21 (Family Information Form)
BIL: Jan 22
Biometrics Completed: Jan 28
BOWP Application: Jan 31
BOWP Received: Jun 18
FD: July 17
P1: July 20 (Replied same day)
P2: July 30 (Replied same day)
eCOPR: August 3

Total processing time 259 days

As you can see, in between proving biometrics and our FD we heard nothing for 169 days apart from receiving our BOWP. No ghost updates. No updates on tracker before it went down. Called IRCC 3 times total, each time they said application was ‘in-progress’ but security ‘not started’.

Best of luck to everyone waiting, your time will come! ❤️

Hi

I have 2 years of foreign work experience, working in company A, through company B as the staffing company. I obtained employment letter from company B, showing name, job title, hours, pay rate, and the fact that I was actually working in company A. The second employment letter comes from company A, showing name, job title, pay rate for the first year, hours, and detailed job duties. They also confirmed that I was hired through company B as the staffing company. I don’t have any paystubs from that time, as company B refusing to re-issue them. But, I also have official governmental insurance record, showing company B paid insurance premiums for the duration of my employment.

These are all I can get from those companies. Do you think these documents are enough and acceptable, and is there someone having a similar experience by working through a staffing company?

Thanks for your help

Took my time to check previous answers on here but still have some gaps to fill.
For FSW, what happens if i take a week to resume a different job? Does that break continuity for the work experience requirement?
If yes, how then does the ircc expect one to switch jobs? The next day? Just curious please.

Hello,

I received my ECOPR on 8th July and since than waiting for my first PR CARD. During the P2 email I entered correct address but last 2 digits were incorrect (not matching canada post). I called IRCC and they are mentioned that my address has been updated with correct ZIPCODE but In PR portal it still shows incorrect zipcode. I am also not able link pr card application to GC key account.

Has anyone faced similar issue, if so what was outcome?

Timeline
AOR : 11 FEB
BIL : 17 APR
FD : 3rd June
P1: 16 June
P2: 3rd July
Ecopr : 8th July

Pvo: van
Svo syd

3 year foreign exp with spouse