Canadian cover letter: how to write one, with a newcomer example
A Canadian cover letter is a one-page business letter for one job that names the role, gives two or three examples matching the posting and asks for next steps. UNBC's career centre suggests a 200 to 400 word body.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Before writing: read the posting and the employer
Job Bank, the Government of Canada's job site, splits applying into three steps: research the company or job, create a resume, prepare a cover letter. The research comes first because it feeds the other two. Job Bank lists the questions to answer: what the company does, the duties of the role, the qualifications and skills it needs, who its customers are and what reputation the employer has.
It also says a cover letter is not always required. The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) career centre recommends sending one when asked. Laurier's career centre, in Ontario, says each letter must be an original. If the posting asks for one, write it for that posting; if the posting says nothing, the choice is yours, but a letter you send should still be written for that job.
Three things to copy from the posting
- The exact job title and any reference number, for the first line.
- The name and title of the hiring manager if it appears; UNBC suggests phoning the company or checking its website if it does not.
- The two or three requirements the posting repeats or lists first. These become your examples.
What Canadian career centres agree on
Job Bank describes the letter as your introduction to a potential employer: concise, well written and tailored to the company and the job, with a different letter for each job if needed. Its longer guide gives the shape: a short introduction that makes the reader want to continue, your top qualifications with one or two specific examples, and a close that restates your interest or thanks the reader. University career centres fill in the format.
| Point | Job Bank | UNBC | U of T Mississauga | Laurier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Concise | One page at most; body around 200 to 400 words | Not longer than one page | One page, business letter format |
| Who to address | Not stated | The hiring manager by name and title | Appropriate salutation | A specific person; if no name, the position title |
| Opening | Short and catchy; enthusiasm or interest | The position and how you found it | Where you found the posting; key strengths | Position name and how you learned of it |
| Body | Top skills with one or two examples | Specific accomplishments targeted to the posting; bullets allowed | Two or three strong examples; no repeat of the resume | Two or three distinctive points; evidence, not claims |
| Close | Restate interest or thank | Interest in an interview, availability, thanks | Thanks and next steps with confidence | Thanks and request an interview |
| Design | Match tone to company culture | Same styling as the resume | Business format with your contact details | Same design, font and header as the resume |
Where they differ
UNBC's 2020 handout suggests a salutation with Mr. or Ms. and the last name; Laurier allows a position title when you cannot find a name. UNBC caps each paragraph at six or seven sentences; Laurier warns against starting every sentence with I. None of them gives a word count except UNBC.
How foreign experience belongs in the letter
This is where a newcomer's letter differs from a local graduate's. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) policy on the "Canadian experience" barrier, approved on 1 February 2013, says a strict requirement for Canadian experience is discrimination on its face and can only be used in very limited circumstances. It tells employers to consider all relevant work experience regardless of where it was gained, and to frame job qualifications as competencies.
The OHRC policy speaks to employers and regulators in Ontario, not to applicants, and it does not tell you what to write. Read with Laurier's advice to highlight the experience you have and not be negative or apologetic about experience you lack, it suggests one practical move: describe foreign work in the posting's own competency words, with the size and result, and do not open with an apology for having no Canadian job yet.
Before and after
| Apologetic version | Competency version |
|---|---|
| Although I do not have Canadian experience, I worked in logistics in Turkey. | For seven years I planned inbound freight for a distributor in Istanbul, scheduling about 140 containers a month. |
| I hope my foreign degree will be considered. | My industrial engineering degree has been assessed by WES as equivalent to a Canadian bachelor's degree. |
| I am new to Canada and willing to learn. | I have completed the Ontario Food Handler course and use SAP S/4HANA daily, the system named in your posting. |
Every fact on the right must be true for you. The WES line only belongs in your letter if you hold that assessment; degree recognition has its own guide.
Full example: a newcomer applying in Ontario
The applicant, the company and the posting are invented. The body runs to about 260 words, inside UNBC's range.
| Part of the letter | Text | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Your header | Deniz Arslan · Mississauga, ON L5B 0A1 · 437-555-0148 · deniz.arslan@example.com · linkedin.com/in/denizarslan | Same header and font as the resume (Laurier, UNBC) |
| Date and employer | 13 October 2026 · Ms. Claire Tremblay, Operations Manager · Northshore Distribution Inc. · 2500 Meadowpine Blvd, Mississauga, ON | Named contact, title, company, address with postal code (UNBC) |
| Salutation | Dear Ms. Tremblay, | A name found on the company website or by phone |
| Opening | I am applying for the Logistics Coordinator position (reference LC-2610) posted on Job Bank. Your posting asks for someone who can schedule inbound freight across several carriers and keep SAP records clean; I have done both for seven years at a food distributor in Istanbul, and I would like to bring that to Northshore's new cold-chain site. | Role, where it was found, and two strengths tied to the posting (UTM, Laurier) |
| Body, example 1 | At Marmara Gıda Dağıtım I planned around 140 inbound containers a month from 11 carriers. By moving all bookings to fixed weekly slots, I cut average dock waiting time from 3.5 hours to 1.2 hours within a year. | A specific accomplishment with a number, not a list of duties |
| Body, example 2 | I own the SAP S/4HANA purchase-order data for my site, about 2,000 lines a month, and led the clean-up that brought invoice mismatches from 6% to under 1%. Your posting names SAP S/4HANA, so I could start on your system without retraining. | Second example matched to a named requirement; adds what the resume cannot |
| Body, fit | Northshore's expansion into refrigerated freight is why I am writing to you in particular: I spent two years coordinating chilled dairy loads where a missed slot meant lost stock. | Shows research on the employer (Job Bank, UTM) |
| Close | I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could support your team. I am available for an interview at any time and can be reached at 437-555-0148. Thank you for your time and consideration. | Interest in an interview, availability, contact, thanks (UNBC) |
| Sign-off | Sincerely, Deniz Arslan | Signed, as UTM's checklist asks |
What the example leaves out on purpose
- An apology for lacking Canadian experience; Laurier advises against being apologetic.
- A paragraph that repeats the resume; UTM says the body is for detail the resume does not carry.
- Age, marital status, photo or religion; none of the sources read for this guide asks for them in a letter.
- A second page; UNBC, UTM and Laurier all cap the letter at one.
Sources and the date we read them
| Source | What we took from it | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Job Bank, How do I apply for a job? | Three steps; research questions; definition of a cover letter | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Job Bank, Stand out to employers | Structure, tone, not always required | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Job Bank, Find a job in Canada as a newcomer | Settlement service providers can help with the letter and interviews | 13 Oct 2026 |
| UNBC Career Centre, How to Write a Cover Letter, and Cover Letters handout (2020) | One page, 200 to 400 word body, named recipient, paragraph length | 13 Oct 2026 |
| University of Toronto Mississauga Career Centre, Cover Letter Checklist | Opening contents, two or three examples, no repeat of the resume | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University, Cover Letter Writing | Position title if no name, matching design, no apologies | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Ontario Human Rights Commission, Policy on removing the Canadian experience barrier (2013) | Employers should weigh all relevant experience | 13 Oct 2026 |
Where this guide stops
- French-language applications, including most of Quebec: none of the sources read here covers them.
- Regulated professions such as nursing: registration comes before the letter; the nurse guide for Canada covers it.
- Federal public service jobs, which use their own application forms and screening questions.
- Immigration questions: the OHRC policy is about hiring in Ontario, not about work permits.
Next steps and other help
- Answer Job Bank's research questions for the employer in five lines.
- Pick the two requirements the posting stresses and write one example with a number for each.
- Fit the body to about 200 to 400 words on one page, using your resume's header and font.
- If you are a newcomer, ask a settlement service provider to read it; Job Bank's newcomer page names them for this.
Who else can read your letter
Students and recent graduates of Canadian universities can book their own career centre; UNBC, UTM and Laurier all review letters. The resume that goes with the letter follows the Canadian resume format guide. CitedCV writes a cover letter for one job from your own CV facts and the posting text once you buy any credit pack (from $9 for 30 credits, paid once), and you edit it before sending; the general guide on cover letters explains the parts in more depth.
Questions people ask
How long should a cover letter be in Canada?
One page at most. UNBC's career centre suggests a main body of about 200 to 400 words, and UTM and Laurier also cap it at one page.
Is a cover letter required in Canada?
Not always. Job Bank says a cover letter is not always required, but when the posting asks for one, a tailored letter makes a real difference.
Who do I address a Canadian cover letter to if there is no name?
Use the position title. Laurier says that if you cannot find a person's name you may address the letter to a title, such as the hiring manager for the department.
Should I mention that I have no Canadian experience?
No, describe the experience you have instead. Laurier advises against being apologetic, and Ontario's Human Rights Commission tells employers to weigh relevant experience wherever it was gained.
What is the format of a Canadian cover letter?
Business letter format: your contact details, date, the employer's name, title and address, a salutation, three or four short paragraphs and a signed close.
Should my cover letter repeat my resume?
No. UTM's checklist says the body is not meant to repeat the resume but to add relevant detail through two or three examples.
Where can newcomers get help with a cover letter in Canada?
Settlement service providers. Job Bank's newcomer page says they can help with resumes, cover letters and interview preparation.
Sources
- Job Bank: How do I apply for a job?www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/apply-for-jobs
- Job Bank: Stand out to employers and land your dream jobwww.jobbank.gc.ca/career-planning/resources/stand-out
- Job Bank: Find a job in Canada as a newcomerwww.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/newcomers
- University of Northern British Columbia Career Centre: How to Write a Cover Letterwww.unbc.ca/sites/default/files/sections/career-centre/coverlettertips.pdf
- University of Northern British Columbia Student Career Centre: Cover Letters (updated January 2020)www.unbc.ca/sites/default/files/sections/career-centre/coverlettershandout2020.pdf
- University of Toronto Mississauga Career Centre: Cover Letter Checklistutm.utoronto.ca/careers/media/6607/download
- Wilfrid Laurier University: Cover Letter Writingstudents.wlu.ca/career-and-experiential-learning/career-and-employment-support/assets/resources/employment-preparation/cover-letter-writing.html
- Ontario Human Rights Commission: Policy on removing the "Canadian experience" barrier (2013)www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-removing-canadian-experience-barrier