Your new job needs a reference from your overseas employer. Here is how to get a reply in time
You have the offer almost in your hands, and then the new employer asks for a reference from your last job, which was in another country. Your old manager is busy, works in a different time zone and may not reply to an email in English from someone they have never heard of. A slow or missing reference can delay an offer by weeks, or end it. This article shows you how to get a reference from an overseas employer by making it easy for them to reply: who to ask, what to send them and what to do when the answer is slow.
Why overseas references stall
Most references fail for practical reasons, not because the referee has anything bad to say. Knowing the usual causes helps you remove them before the request is sent.
- The referee does not know the request is coming. An email from an unknown company abroad can look like spam, or even a scam, and be ignored.
- Time zones. A phone call arranged for 9am in the hiring country may be the middle of the night where your referee lives.
- Language. Some referees can speak about your work well but feel unsure writing formal English, so they put it off.
- Company rules. Some employers let only HR confirm details, and HR may confirm dates and job title only.
- People move on. Your manager may have changed jobs, so the work email on your CV no longer reaches anyone.
Each of these is easier to fix weeks before an employer asks than on the day they do.
Choose the right referee for each role
The best overseas referee is someone who supervised your work directly and who will answer. A senior name who barely knew you is less useful than a site supervisor who saw you every day.
| Referee | What they can usually confirm | When to use them |
|---|---|---|
| Direct supervisor or line manager | Your duties, skills, reliability and how you worked with others | Your first choice for most roles |
| HR or personnel officer | Job title, start and end dates, sometimes reason for leaving | When company rules send all requests to HR, or alongside a supervisor |
| Senior colleague or project lead | Specific projects, tools and the standard of your work | When your manager has left and cannot be reached |
| Client or main contractor | Work you delivered for them and how it was done | If you were self-employed or a subcontractor |
If you were self-employed, the steps in proving your work history when there is no employer to call help you pick clients and records instead.
How to prepare your overseas referee: step by step
- Ask permission first. Message the person directly, in the way you normally spoke (phone, WhatsApp or email), and ask if they are happy to act as your referee. Tell them which country and type of job you are applying for.
- Check their current details. Confirm their job title, the company they work for now and the email and phone number they actually read. A personal email is fine if they have left the company, but tell the new employer why.
- Agree how they prefer to answer. Some referees prefer a short phone call, others a written reply. Ask which language they are most comfortable in and whether a call needs an interpreter.
- Give them the time difference. Tell them roughly when a call or email may arrive, and tell the new employer the referee's local time and the best hours to reach them.
- Send a short reminder of the facts. List your job title, dates, main duties and two or three projects they saw. People forget details after a few years; a reminder helps them answer accurately. Never ask them to say anything that is not true.
- Warn them before the request goes out. When the employer says they will contact referees, send your referee a quick message with the employer's name and the email address the request will come from.
- Thank them, and follow up once. If a few working days pass, a polite check-in is fine. Then let the employer know if there is a delay, so they hear it from you.
Example: a message to your referee
This is an example with fictional names. Change it to suit how you and your referee usually talk.
Hello Mr Perera, I hope you are well. I have applied for a maintenance fitter job in New Zealand and the employer has asked for references. Would you be happy to be one of my referees for my time at the plant from March 2019 to June 2024?
To help, here is what I did in that role: maintenance fitter on the packaging lines, planned shutdowns every quarter, and training two apprentices. The employer may email you from a company address in New Zealand, which is several hours ahead of Sri Lanka. They can also call you if you prefer. Thank you very much for your help. Ruwan
A message like this tells the referee what is coming, why and when, so the request does not surprise them.
What a good overseas reference letter contains
Many employers abroad still ask for a written reference or experience letter as well as a call. If your referee is writing one, it should be easy to check. A useful letter usually has:
- The company letterhead, address and a phone number or email that can be checked.
- Your full name as it appears on your passport.
- Your job title or titles, and exact start and end dates.
- A few lines on your main duties and the type of work, in plain words.
- The referee's name, position, signature and the date it was signed.
If the letter is in another language, get a translation and keep the original as well. Format matters as much as content when the reader is abroad: see why your experience letter's format matters for the details employers look at.
Mistakes that make a reference harder to trust
- Giving a friend or relative as a referee instead of someone who supervised you.
- Writing the reference letter yourself and asking the referee only to sign it.
- A personal email with no link to the company and no explanation why.
- Dates on the letter that do not match the dates on your CV.
- Asking a referee to cover a job they did not see you do.
An honest gap, explained calmly, is better than a weak reference that raises questions.
When the overseas employer still does not reply
Sometimes a company has closed, a manager cannot be found or HR does not answer foreign requests. Tell the new employer early and offer other evidence: payslips, contracts, tax or social security records, an older reference letter, or a second referee from the same workplace. The article on what to do when an overseas employer will not reply covers these options in more detail. Overseas experience counts for more when you can show it, as explained in why overseas experience may count for little unless you can prove it.
Keeping your references ready on Talent Tabloid
On a Talent Tabloid profile, each role in your work history can carry your referee's name and position, while their email and phone are never shown publicly. Overseas work experience and foreign referees can be verified in the same way as local ones: by the person you nominate or through document review by the team. Email confirmation requests are paused at the moment, so for now roles are verified through document review, such as service letters, contracts or pay slips. More on how this works for migrants is on the skilled migrants page and in the help centre FAQ.
If you want one link that keeps your work history and referee details together for employers, create your verified profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a referee who has left the company?
Yes, if they supervised your work there. Give their current contact details and explain to the employer that they have moved on, so the reader does not think the details are wrong.
Is a WhatsApp message from my old manager a reference?
It can help as a first contact, but most employers want a call, an email they can trace to the person, or a signed letter. Use WhatsApp to arrange the reference, not to replace it.
What if my reference letter is not in English?
Keep the original and add a translation. Some employers or authorities ask for a certified translation, so check what the employer or the official website asks for before you pay for one.
How many overseas referees should I have ready?
Two is a good number for most jobs, ideally from your most recent roles. A third from an earlier job helps if one of the first two is slow to answer.
