Trying to prove work experience with closed companies

[Webcowgirl]

So ... I'm trying to get proof of employment letters for my HSMP visa application, but two of my former employers (2 years experience of the 5 I need) are now insolvent. One no longer exists as a legal entity at all, the other appears to be strictly a post-office box. I cannot get a letter documenting the type of work I did on company letterhead because there is no company left!

My questions are:
1. Have you dealt with this before, and how?
2. Any suggestions for what kind of documents to provide in lieu of the ones suggested? I still have my W2s and possibly my offer letters, but nothing regarding type of work or length of employment. I've considered getting notarized letters from former coworkers, but I'm not sure if this will do me any good ...

For the record, the caseworker manual says, "The applicant should provide other evidence to demonstrate the length of time worked and the level of work," but this seems just hopelessly vague.

[lynn132]

I had exactly this problem when I applied last January. A company I had worked for had gone bankrupt and was gone. What I did was provide:

- letter from my supervisor at that employer regarding my duties (I had his contact info)
- my original offer letter, which was on their letterhead
- a copy of the memo to employees indicating the firm's bankruptcy
- my final payslip

In retrospect, I cannot believe I actually kept all this stuff. I also included an annotated summary of the documentation, and I explained the situation with that former employer.