No reference letters? Discover the secret to validating your work experience in Australia—even if your former bosses disappear!

One of the most important requirements for validating your professional experience in Australia is proving that you actually worked in the positions you claim to have held. To do this, most assessing authorities — such as Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS, among others — require reference letters signed by your previous employers.

But what if you can't get them? Maybe the company has closed, your boss moved to another country, the relationship didn’t end well, or there's simply no way to contact them anymore. Don’t worry: not all is lost. At SkillsPRO, we’ve supported hundreds of migrants in this situation and know exactly what to do to make sure your experience can still be recognized.

Why are employment reference letters so important?

Employment reference letters are the main documents that verify:

• That you actually worked at the company listed.

• That you performed specific tasks related to the chosen ANZSCO code.

• That your work hours and employment duration meet the minimum requirement.

• That your experience is relevant to the occupation you want to validate.

  
  

Without this support, authorities cannot confirm your professional experience — unless you can prove it through other means.

What are my options if I can’t get the letter?

Although the ideal scenario is to have a signed employment letter, if you don’t, it becomes mandatory to submit a full set of alternative documents. It’s not about choosing one or the other — you need to provide all the supporting documents available.

Here’s what you can submit. Remember: include everything possible to build a strong case.

1. Statutory Declaration:

This is a legal document where you declare under oath that you worked at a certain company, listing your duties and dates of employment.This document is mandatory in the absence of a reference letter — but it is not enough on its own.

2. Letters from colleagues or supervisors:

If someone who worked with you can write and sign a letter (even if they no longer work at the company), it will serve as additional evidence. Ideally, this person should have held a supervisory position.

3. Supporting evidence:

You should also include all the documents you can gather to back up your work experience, such as:

• Employment contracts.

• Payslips.

• Social security contribution certificates.

• Tax returns.

• Work-related emails.

• Screenshots from internal systems showing your name and position.

• Projects or deliverables signed by you.

  
  

The more evidence you include, the better. The key is that your documents are consistent, verifiable, and clearly support your professional experience.

What role does SkillsPRO play in this process?

In these situations, strategy is everything. It’s not just about collecting papers — it’s about knowing how to present them, how to explain your experience, and what type of evidence will be strongest for the specific assessing authority.

At SkillsPRO, we help you with:

✔️ Free initial evaluation of your situation.

✔️ Personalized guidance on which documents to submit.

✔️ Certified or NAATI translations (when required)

✔️ Full case preparation, ready to submit.

Book your free consultation today here.

Not having letters doesn’t mean you can’t validate your experience. Migrating to Australia as a skilled professional isn’t impossible just because you don’t have every “perfect” document. What matters is knowing what alternatives you have, how to organize them, and what to say — and that’s exactly where we come in.

At SkillsPRO, we guide you step by step so that your experience is recognized, even if you’re missing traditional documents. We’ve worked with technical, professional, and managerial profiles and know how to build a strong, clear, and well-documented application.

If you’d like more information about the Skills Assessment process, migration, or simply want to connect with other professionals, we invite you to join our WhatsApp group "Latinos Profesionales en Australia 🇦🇺". Share experiences, ask questions, and find support along your journey to residency in Australia. You can also join our Facebook group here.