Your e-APR for the Federal Skilled Worker Program

If your invitation names the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), your experience may come from anywhere in the world, and your e-APR has to show it clearly to an officer in Canada. That usually means three extra pieces of work: your education, your foreign reference letters and your proof of funds. None of them is hard once you know exactly what IRCC asks for. Read this with our main e-APR guide, which covers the forms, police certificates, medical exam and fees.

What you need to prove

Your educational credential assessment

An ECA confirms that your foreign degree, diploma or certificate is valid and equal to a Canadian one. As the principal applicant under FSW, you need one if you studied outside Canada. It must be an ECA for immigration purposes, and it must be less than 5 years old both when you completed your profile and when you submit your e-APR. If you apply with an expired ECA, IRCC will refuse your application.

• Enter your ECA reference number in your e-APR: IRCC validates it directly with the organization that issued it.
• Upload proof of the credential itself, such as your degree or diploma, and transcripts if you have them.
• Keep your ECA report handy: IRCC’s instructions say a scan is not required at submission but may be requested later.
• Claiming points for two or more credentials? You need an ECA for each one, and at least one must be for a program of 3 years or more.
• Claiming points for your spouse’s education? They need their own ECA too.

Reference letters for work abroad

For every job you declared, IRCC asks for a reference or experience letter from the employer. The rules are the same wherever you worked:

• The duties should show that you did the actions in the NOC lead statement and most of its main duties, for the NOC you chose as your primary occupation.
• If a letter is not in English or French, upload a certified translation together with a scan of the original. If no certified translator is available, the translator can swear an affidavit instead.
• A translation cannot be done by you, a family member, or your representative, even if they are a translator or lawyer.
• Self-employed? IRCC asks for articles of incorporation or other proof of ownership, proof of self-employment income, and documents from clients showing the services and payments. Self-declared duties or affidavits are not accepted.

Proof of funds: how much you need

Proof of funds shows you can support yourself and your family when you arrive. IRCC bases the amounts on 50% of the low income cut-off and says it updates them every year. On November 8, 2026, its page still showed this table, marked as updated July 7, 2025.

Count yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children, and your spouse’s dependent children. Include them even if they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or are not coming with you. If you have more than the minimum, list the full amount.

What counts as funds, and what does not

The money must be available both when you apply and when IRCC issues your permanent resident visa. Your proof is an official letter from each bank or financial institution where you hold accounts, on its letterhead, showing:

• the institution’s address, telephone number and email address
• your name
• your outstanding debts, such as credit cards and loans
• for each account: the account number, the date it was opened, the current balance and the average balance for the past 6 months

When you do not need proof of funds

You are exempt if you are currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. Under FSW, a valid job offer is from one employer, for continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours a week) that is not seasonal, lasts at least 1 year after you become a permanent resident, is in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, and is genuine. Since November 3, 2026, the offer no longer needs an LMIA. The system still shows a funds field, so upload a short letter explaining your exemption with your job offer details.