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I need to get a work reference letter on a business letterhead that states my duties and responsibilities for my role in my current job. This reference letter is for immigration purposes and I fear that suggesting trying to get a work reference letter from my current employer may raise suspicions that I'm immigrating to another country. The immigration department may also contact my current employer for reference as well, although, I have been told that if the letter is good enough, they wouldn't call my employer at all. My question is how to ask your current employer a work reference letter to avoid suspicions.

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    Why are you hiding your immigration from an employer? This is something that can backfire spectacularly, as its not guaranteed they can keep (not to mention want to) employing you after the move.
    – Aida Paul
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 15:55
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    @TymoteuszPaul probably because they're afraid that their boss will decide the person who might quit in a year is the perfect one to lay off in next months downsizing. Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 16:09
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    It would be useful to know what action you are trying to take, are you trying to get citizenship in the current country, are you trying/planning on moving to another country? What you are doing may drive the best answer for how to handle
    – cdkMoose
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 16:42
  • @cdkMoose I am moving out of my current country to a new one. Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 14:03
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    @ProspectiveMigrant, do you intend to still work for them? That could be problematic for them because of tax laws. If that's the case, you need to talk to them. If you plan on quitting, I don't know how to get them to provide these documents without giving up some information.
    – cdkMoose
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 18:16

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Quite frankly, if they could call your employer, then the best way is to just tell your employer the truth. Because if they find out you lied, then they will take this negatively.

I don't know if it fulfills your requirements, but sometimes you have to provide this information for other purposes. For example for a loan, I had to supply my contract and a statement from my employer that I am still working there. For obvious reasons, after all my contract does not magically burn up if I had been fired, so they needed confirmation. Or for tax purposes, to get refunds you sometimes have to prove you are eligable. Once I had to ask my employer to please give me an official form stating that I work with computers in my job there. The HR was speechless, then laughed and then gave me that form. My title, transmitted to the tax authorities with my monthly salary, was "software developer", but duh... I guess they needed another form filled, to make sure Software Developers really work with computers. You can never be sure, can you?

Anyway, maybe you can find an "innocent" form to request, that has all the information you need on it.

It might still backfire if they call. The truth might be the easiest option.

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