This applicant's former employer would only provide a scanned copy of a reformatted reference letter (with detailed duties) on letterhead, refusing to hand over a physical original, and the applicant worried this could cause problems when claiming foreign work experience for PR.
What group members advised:- A scanned copy is sufficient — only the soft copy is needed for the application itself. You don't need the physical original to submit as part of your PR file.
- You'll only ever need to submit the soft copy during the PR process, though it's still worth keeping a colour printout of the letter for your own records, just in case.
The practical takeaway: don't let an employer's refusal to hand over a physical original block your application — a properly scanned, letterhead reference letter is what IRCC actually needs, backed up by supporting documents like payslips and PF statements.