01
Reference letters
Templates your US employers can fill in, a version for people promoted at one company, and request scripts for HR and a former manager.
Tracks / From the US
On an H-1B or a US degree? Get your Canada PR documents ready before your ITA lands.
Templates, scripts, and checklists for people in the US heading to Canada through Express Entry. Reference letters from US employers, a bank letter that shows what it needs to, and a plan for the 60 days.
Get the kit for $29
Instant download. English and French editions, in Word, Google Docs, and PDF.
991
Express Entry invitations went to people living in the US in 2024
10,000
applications filled Canada's 2023 H-1B open work permit before it closed on July 17, 2023
$15,263
CAD in settlement funds for a single applicant, unless you have a valid Canadian job offer and permission to work there
Source: Express Entry Year-End Report 2024, Table 14a; IRCC H-1B work permit page; IRCC proof of funds page. See the full 2026 data report
01 / The problem
The H-1B fast lane closed in 2023. Express Entry is the road that's open.
In July 2023, Canada offered H-1B holders an open work permit. It hit its cap of 10,000 applications on July 17 and closed. Budget 2025 promised a new accelerated pathway for H-1B holders. IRCC hasn't said how it will work or when it opens.
Express Entry, meanwhile, keeps running. IRCC held 58 draws in 2026 by the end of September. If you're invited from the US, you'll most likely apply as a Federal Skilled Worker, with foreign reference letters, a US degree that needs an Educational Credential Assessment, police certificates, and settlement funds in a bank letter.
How the 60 days go when you start lateDay
01
Invitation lands. You email HR at your current job and the one before it.
04
HR replies: "We only verify title and dates of employment."
16
Your old employer sends you to an online verification service. You get a printout.
33
Your police certificate from your home country is still in process.
60
Deadline. Your next H-1B headline can wait. This can't.
The people who submit on time started collecting documents before the invitation came.
02 / What it costs you
A US employment verification isn't a reference letter.
Plenty of US employers will confirm your title and dates, then stop. IRCC wants your duties and responsibilities, your hours, and your annual salary plus benefits, on letterhead, signed by your immediate supervisor or a personnel officer.
And unless you already have a valid Canadian job offer and permission to work in Canada, you have to show settlement funds. The money has to be there when you apply and when your visa is issued.
Employment verification
Title: Software Engineer II. Dates: 06/2022 to present. Status: Active.
Missing: duties, hours, salary, signature
- Company letterhead with address, phone, and email
- Your name
- Name, title, and signature of your immediate supervisor or personnel officer
- Every position you held there, with its job title
- Duties and responsibilities, written out
- Job status, if it's your current job
- Hours per week
- Annual salary plus benefits
- The dates you worked there
03 / The fix
What you'll use most
The whole kit is yours: five modules and a bonus. These are the parts people applying from the US open first.
02
NOC duty-matching worksheet
Put your real duties next to the NOC lead statement and main duties, so your US job title maps to the right Canadian occupation.
03
Proof of funds pack
A bank letter checklist, a request script, a multi-account tracker, and a six-month balance worksheet.
04
Letters of explanation
Ready-to-edit letters for address differences, overlapping jobs, employment gaps, and documents that are missing or delayed.
05
The 60-day roadmap
Week by week from invitation to submission, with a tracker that shows what's requested, received, checked, and uploaded.
Bonus
Pre-ITA readiness checklist
What to start collecting now, ordered by how long each document takes.
Guides for your situation
How this kit was built
From IRCC's own documents. Nothing made up.
Every requirement in the kit comes from IRCC's published guidance: its instructions for work experience letters and proof of funds, the Express Entry Year-End Report, and the official rounds of invitations data. Every number on this site names its source.
When IRCC changes a rule, the files get updated and you get the new version free.
What this isn't: advice from an immigration consultant or a lawyer. The kit is general information. If your situation is complicated, hire a licensed RCIC or lawyer. You'll still need these documents either way.
- Built from IRCC guidance
- Every stat sourced
- Free updates
- Not affiliated with IRCC
Orderv2026.1
The Express Entry 2026 Document Kit
US$29
One time. Free updates when IRCC changes its requirements.
- All five modules plus the bonus checklistIncluded
- English and French editionsIncluded
- Word, Google Docs, and PDFIncluded
- Instant downloadIncluded
Price in US dollars. In many countries Gumroad lowers it automatically at checkout, based on local purchasing power.
Digital download. All sales are final.
- Independent guide. Not a government site.
- We never call you. No phone number needed.
- Secure checkout by Gumroad.
Questions
FAQ
Is there a special Canada pathway for H-1B holders right now?
Canada's 2023 H-1B open work permit hit its cap and closed. Budget 2025 promised an accelerated pathway for H-1B holders, but IRCC hasn't published how it works or when it opens. Express Entry is open now.
I studied in the US and I'm on OPT. Does this work for me?
The kit covers documents, not eligibility. If you're invited, your US degree needs an Educational Credential Assessment and your work letters need the same details as anyone's. For advice on whether you qualify, talk to a licensed RCIC or lawyer.
I don't want my current employer to know I'm leaving.
The kit has a request script for HR and one for a former manager, so you can pick the route you're comfortable with.
Do I need a US police certificate?
IRCC asks for police certificates for you and each family member 18 or older, from every country outside Canada where you spent six months or more in a row in the last 10 years, counting only time after age 18. The roadmap tells you to start early.
Is this legal advice?
No. These are general templates and checklists. For advice on your own file, use a licensed RCIC or lawyer.
Can't I find all this online for free?
Yes, you can. IRCC publishes its rules, and the forums are full of advice. You're welcome to piece it together yourself, no hard feelings. We spent the hours reading IRCC's guides, year-end reports, and draw data, turned it into fill-in templates and checklists, and we keep it current when IRCC changes something. The $29 buys you those hours back.
Can I get a refund?
No. All sales are final. It's a digital download, the files are yours the moment you buy, and a lot of research goes into building it and keeping it up to date. Read the full list of what's inside before you order.