Employment Insurance (EI) – TIPSHEET
Employment Insurance (EI) is available to eligible claimants affected by the COVID-19 who are unable to work because of illness, injury, quarantine, or due to providing care and support to family member(s).
How do I apply for Employment Insurance (EI)?
To apply for Employment Insurance (EI):
- Apply online http://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html OR
- Visit a Service Canada Centre near you http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc-fsco/sc-hme.jsp?lang=eng OR
- You can call toll free 1800-622-6232
You will need to complete an EI application form and an EI agent will determine your eligibility for entitlement. Always apply as soon as you stop working. You must apply within 4 weeks after your last day of work. You can apply for benefits even if you have not received your Record of Employment (ROE) yet.
The Application Form and Documents
To complete your application, you must do the following:
- Gather your supporting documents
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)—If your SIN begins with a 9, you need to supply proof of your immigration status and work permit.
- Your mother’s maiden name
- Your mailing and residential addresses including postal code
- A Record of Employment (ROE)—From each job you have had in the past year (52 weeks). Your employer will automatically send an electronic copy to Service Canada.
- Your direct deposit information –financial institution name, bank branch number, and account number. The government uses this information to deposit your payment directly into your bank account.
- Detailed version of the facts—information on why you are off work, information about the person requiring care or support etc.
If you are missing some of these documents, you can still apply to avoid delays.
- Complete the online application
The application form takes about an hour to complete. Your information is saved for 72 hours (3 days) from the time you start. If you don’t complete the application, you can come back to it later using a temporary password that you receive when you start your application. If you don’t complete the application within 72 hours, it will be deleted and you’ll have to start a new application.
- Provide Supporting Documents
- Record of Employment (ROE) – issued by employer to provide information to Service Canada to determine whether you’re eligible to receive EI benefits and how much you will receive. This is automatically sent electronically to Service Canada.
- Any additional documents required – depending on type of benefits you had applied.
- A benefit statement and access code will arrive by mail
Once your application is complete, Service Canada will mail you a benefit statement. This statement will include a 4-digit access code. You will need this code and your SIN to inquire about your application and to complete bi-weekly reports.
- Review your application status
To check your progress of the application, you can log into My Service Canada Account or contact Service Canada at 1800-206-7218.
For more information, please visit http://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html