A member applying to the OINP had a previous employer whose company policy prevented including gross salary in the employment reference letter, and wanted to know whether attaching an offer letter and payslips separately would be enough to avoid issues.
What the thread recommended:- Stack multiple supporting documents rather than relying on just one substitute. Members suggested combining the offer letter, payslips, the last 6 months of bank statements, a company ID card, and ideally a separate reference letter from your immediate manager (if the formal HR letter can't include salary) — together these corroborate the salary the formal letter leaves out.
- If a specific required document genuinely can't be obtained, one member mentioned that an affidavit can sometimes be used as a substitute — but suggested double-checking this against the current OINP requirements before relying on it.
- Use a Letter of Explanation (LOE) to proactively explain the gap — stating clearly that the employer's policy prevented disclosing gross salary in the reference letter, so the case officer isn't left to guess why that detail is missing.
The practical takeaway: when an employer's reference letter can't include your gross salary due to internal policy, compensate with a combination of offer letter, payslips, bank statements, and a company ID, and use a Letter of Explanation to clearly state why the salary is missing from the formal letter — this combination was the group's consistent recommendation.