Frequently asked questions

• General inquiries
• How to apply
• Jobs in customs
• Jobs in taxation
• Students
• Résumés
• Employment equity

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General inquiries

Where are career opportunities at the CRA listed? How can I view specific opportunities?
Visit our main careers page for a range of information about working at the CRA. Or you can go directly to our jobs index page and search by job category. Please bookmark the pages of most interest to you and visit us regularly!

Do you reply to the comments and questions that are emailed to you using your Contact us page?

We receive a huge volume of emails from around the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We reply to all of them as quickly as the volume permits, usually within three working days, but we do so only by Internet email and not by regular mail. If you haven't yet received a reply, please be patient: we may still be working on it or there may be some technical difficulties. Please feel free to write back to us if you have not received a response within three working days. As well, we can only respond if you have provided us with a return email address. You may have to verify that the terminal from which you emailed us will accept replies.

I live in another country but would like to work in Canada: can I apply for a CRA job?
In accordance with CRA policy, preference will normally be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. You must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Please indicate in your application the reason for which you are entitled to work in Canada: Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status or work permit. For more information about applying from outside Canada, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Web site.

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How to apply

How can I update an application I've already submitted?
At the moment, our online system does not let applicants update their submissions. So, if you have new information you wish to submit, or correction(s) you wish to make to your online application, please send this information to us by e-mail at Contact Us. Be sure to include the Selection Process number and the Advertisement number of the process you applied to, as well as your confirmation number. Please note that if you do not provide your confirmation number, we may be unable to attach the new or corrected information to your application. Please do not submit another application.

How can I find out the status of a selection process I've applied to?
When you apply online, you automatically receive an acknowledgment message that includes the number of the selection process and your personal confirmation number.

• We suggest that you print that page for your records.

After the deadline to apply, visit the "Closed notices" page (accessed via the jobs index page) to check the status of a selection process (for example, if the hiring office is at the screening or interview stage, doing reference checks, or has made a placement).

The job notice I want to apply to says "N/A" in the "experience" field. But when I leave the experience field blank on my online application, the system won't accept it.
Our application form was created with the experience factors as "mandatory fields": that means the system won't accept your application form if these fields are left blank.

• If the job notice says "no experience" or "N/A", on the application form you should type in the word "none" in all of the "Experience factor requested" fields (namely, Position Title, From, To, and Briefly Describe).

How do I know if I've correctly transmitted my online application and that you've received it?
When you successfully apply online, your screen will display an acknowledgment page immediately after you hit "Submit". This page includes:

• the selection process number
• the time and date your application was received
• the first four letters of your last name.

This confirmation page appears only after you've hit "Submit" and our system has accepted your online application.

• We suggest that you print a copy of your application and of your acknowledgment page for your own records.

When will I be contacted about the online application I submitted?
In most cases, you'll be contacted only if you meet the minimum requirements and have been "screened in" to the selection process. The office running the selection process contacts the selected candidates.

After the deadline to apply, visit the "Closed notices" page (accessed via the jobs index page) to check the status of a selection process (for example, if the hiring office is at the screening or interview stage, doing reference checks, or has made a placement).

I applied for a position whose job notice requests a copy of my diploma and transcripts. How can I send these documents?
Since these documents aren't available electronically, explain in your online application that you'll fax or mail them. Regardless of how you send them, be sure to include the following information:

• the date you submitted your online application
• the position's reference number and job title.

If you're contacted for further assessment, you may be asked to present the actual documents.

What's the best way to prepare for an interview?
On each online job notice, under the "Important Notice" link, you will find the "Statement of Staffing Requirements" which outlines the qualifications for the position. We recommend that you print a copy so that you can refer to it if you are contacted for further assessment.

Personal Record Identifier (PRI)
The Personal Record Identifier (PRI) is a number that helps us locate your records if you have previously been an employee of the federal government. If you know your PRI number, please provide it in the appropriate box.

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Jobs in customs

Where can I find out how to become a customs inspector?
On December 12, 2003, the Customs Branch of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency was transferred to the Canada Border Services Agency. See www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/careers/menu-e.html.

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Jobs in taxation

When will you be hiring clerks for the next tax season?
We have offices across Canada, and each one has its own time frame and method for hiring or rehiring. Keep checking our Administration/Clerical page for the latest openings.

You may also want to visit the Public Service Commission's http://jobs.gc.ca Web site for information about all local opportunities with the federal government.

How do I arrange to write the tax centre entry exams?
Exams are administered by invitation only. Invitations are issued only to people who've applied -- preferably online -- for a specific job opening that requires the exams and who've been selected as probable candidates for the interview stage.

Where can I find tax information?
You can either visit our Web site's tax module or contact one of our tax services offices or tax centres.

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Students

I'm a post-secondary student in university or college: how can I get a job with the CRA?
Click here to view the current opportunities for university and college students. Developmental programs and opportunities for high school students can be found here.

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Résumés

How can I submit a résumé by fax or mail? Does the CRA keep an inventory of résumés?
We do not accept unsolicited résumés, and we don't keep an inventory. Instead, we require a separate application form for each job notice you apply for. Résumés are accepted only if an individual job notice specifically requests one.

However, if you're contacted for testing or an interview, you may be asked to bring a résumé.

Why can't I just send in my résumé instead of having to apply to a specific position?
We don't accept unsolicited résumés because that's not an effective way for us to find the skilled people we're looking for. Instead, our hiring process is based on people sending in an online application form when they feel themselves qualified for a specific job of interest.

You can apply for any CRA position by using the online application process. This is the preferred method, and we recommend you use it.

For some positions only, the job notice indicates other ways you can apply.

• Only if a job notice so indicates, you can also fax, mail, or deliver your application.
• If you apply using any method that's not specifically mentioned on the individual job notice, your application will be automatically rejected.

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Employment equity

Why are some positions open only to members of employment equity groups?
The CRA has a legal obligation to ensure that its workforce reflects the communities it serves. This means that sometimes we actively target one or more of the designated employment equity groups (namely: members of visible minority groups, Aboriginal people, persons with a disability, and women).