Usman Khalil

Usman Khalil, RCIC, CPA, is a licensed and regulated Canadian immigration consultant, and founder of MAK Canadian Immigration Services in Mississauga, Ontario. "Can you just put this on your letterhead and confirm where the money came from?" For a chartered professional accountant, that seemingly simple request should trigger more questions than drafting. The client may need the letter for a lender, investor, lawyer, regulator, immigration process, business transaction, or another professional.

Contractors are meticulous about project closeout. Drawings get updated, deficiencies are logged, warranties are filed and the next person can usually see what happened on the job. Employment records are often less disciplined. That becomes a problem when a skilled worker leaves a project or company and, months or years later, needs the employer to confirm exactly what work was performed, when it was performed, how many hours were worked and which legal entity employed the person.

CPAs routinely prepare records for tax, financial reporting, financing, ownership and transaction purposes. Those records can later acquire a second evidentiary function when a client needs to explain where money came from, who owned it, how it moved and why a transaction occurred. For internationally mobile business owners, that second use can matter in a Canadian immigration file.