How to answer work authorization and salary questions
HireMarq2 min read
Straight answers for common US and Canadian application fields: sponsorship, work status, and pay, without guessing or underselling a posted range.
Work authorization means what you can legally do
Employers in the United States and Canada ask whether you are allowed to work for them, and whether they must sponsor a visa or permit. Answer the question that is on the form. If you are a citizen or permanent resident, say so. If you already hold a permit that allows this job, name the status you hold and whether it needs employer action later.
Do not choose "no sponsorship" because you hope it reads better. A wrong answer wastes their time and yours when the background check or the offer letter does not match. If you do not know whether your permit covers the role, find out before you submit. Leave the field blank or mark it for review rather than guessing. Auto-apply tools often get this field wrong.
Salary: use the posting when it has a range
Many states and provinces require a range on the posting. If a range is printed, your number should sit inside it unless you have a reason you can explain, such as a license or a book of business the range did not assume. Quoting the bottom every time is not required. Quoting far above the top, with no proof, ends the conversation.
When the posting has no range, give a band based on the level in the title and on offers you have seen for that work in that city. A band is more honest than a single dollar. "Negotiable" alone is weak when the form demands a number. Put the number, and you can still discuss it in the interview.
Other fields that are easy to rush
Start date: name a real date, including notice you owe a current employer. Relocation: say yes only if you would move for this job. "How did you hear about us" can be "company site" or the board you used. None of these need a paragraph.
If a question asks for something that is not in your history, the safe answer is that you do not have it. Inventing a certification or a clearance is worse than a gap.
Questions
Should I say I need sponsorship if I might later?
If you will need the employer to file something for you to keep working, say yes. If your current status already covers the job with no filing, say no, and be ready to name the status.
What if the salary field is required and I have no number?
Use the posted range when it exists. Otherwise use a band you can tie to the city and the level. Leaving a required field at zero reads as a joke or a broken form.
Can I discuss pay later instead?
You can, when the form allows a blank or "later." When it requires a figure, put one. The interview is where you adjust it with more information.
HireMarq writes the resume and cover letter from your history, then fills the application for you to review.
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