Employment Insurance (EI) - How to Apply for Employment Insurance Benefits

• How to Apply for Employment Insurance Benefits (PDF version, 8 kb)

This brochure provides you with detailed instructions on how to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

Be sure to apply as soon as you stop working even if you don’t have your Records of Employment.

Applying for EI benefits online
To find out if you can receive EI benefits, you must submit an application online.

You can apply:

On the Internet at home
If you have access to the Internet at home, you can apply for EI benefits from there—24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In person at a Service Canada Centre
You can apply online at any Service Canada Centre using one of the many Internet kiosks available. To find out when your local Service Canada Centre is open, visit our Web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

At a public Internet access site
There are various locations in your community, such as public libraries, where you can access the Internet to apply for EI benefits.

What information do I need to apply?
To fill out the online EI application form, you will usually need:

• your Social Insurance Number (SIN);
• your mother’s maiden name;
• your mailing and residential address, including the postal code;
• the names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for all employers you have worked for in the last 52 weeks;
• your detailed version of the facts, if you quit or have been dismissed from any job in the last 52 weeks;
• your financial institution name, bank transit number, and bank account number for direct deposit;
• the salary amount (before deductions) you received for the last week you worked (Sunday to Saturday), including tips and commissions;
• any other amounts you received or will receive (e.g., vacation pay, severance pay, pension);
• the dates of any weeks (Sunday to Saturday) in the last 52 weeks when you did not work or receive any earnings, including the reason(s) why;
• the dates in the last 52 weeks and salary before deductions of:
  • any weeks (Sunday to Saturday) where your earnings before deductions were less than $225; or
  • your best 14 weeks of insurable earnings (Sunday to Saturday), if you reside in one of the economic regions designated under the “Best 14 Weeks” pilot project.

Completing the EI application form
It will take about 60 minutes to complete the application form online. To do so, visit our Web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

From the “Online Services and Forms” menu on the right-hand side of the page, click on “Apply for Employment Insurance benefits.”

From there, the Web site takes you step by step through the application form, and provides detailed instructions on how to complete it.

Note
After you fill out the EI application form, you will receive a confirmation number electronically as proof that we received your application. Be sure to keep this number for future reference.

After you apply
After you submit your EI application online, if you have paper ROEs that your employer did not submit electronically, we cannot finalize your application until we receive them. For this reason, you must either mail us your paper ROEs or drop them off in person at a Service Canada Centre as soon as possible after you submit your EI application.

When will I know whether or not I am entitled to receive EI benefits?
- If you are entitled to receive benefits, you should receive your first payment within 28 days of the date we receive your claim.
- If you are not entitled to receive benefits, we will notify you by letter or by telephone to explain why. If you disagree with our decision, please note that you have the right to appeal.

Receiving your EI benefits
To receive your EI benefits, you have to submit reports to Service Canada every two weeks. In these reports, you will answer questions to show you are still entitled to receive EI benefits.

Shortly after you file your EI application, we will mail you an EI benefit statement. This statement will tell you the date you have to submit your first report, will provide you with your access code, and will include detailed instructions on how to submit your EI reports.

Note
Keep in mind that receiving the EI benefit statement does not mean that your application has been approved.

Getting information about your EI claim
You can get information about your EI claim by:

• visiting My Service Canada Account on the Service Canada Web site; or
• calling the toll-free EI Telephone Information Service.

My Service Canada Account
Using this online account, you can access your EI information in one place through a secure Web site. With My Service Canada Account, you can:

• confirm any decisions made about your EI application;
• sign up for direct deposit;
• see details on your payments and deductions;
• view and update your personal information; and
• view all Records of Employment that your employers have submitted electronically in the last two years.

To use My Service Canada Account, visit our Web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca. From the “Online Services and Forms” menu on the right-hand side of the page, click on “Access My Service Canada Account.”

EI Telephone Information Service
You can also use the EI Telephone Information Service to get information about your claim. If you call us, you can select the information you need from the menu options provided. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 1 800 206-7218.  If you have a hearing or speech impairment and use a teletypewriter (TTY), call 1 800 529-3742 (English and French).

Looking for a job
To look for a new job, visit Service Canada’s Job Bank Web site at www.jobbank.gc.ca. The Job Bank is an electronic listing of current jobs being offered by employers from across Canada.

If you are interested in exploring employment or training programs that could help you return to work, visit the Service Canada Web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca. From the “Services by Subject” menu on the left-hand side of the page, click on either “Education and Training” or “Employment.”

Note
Knowingly making a false or misleading statement is considered an offence under the Employment Insurance Act.

To find out more about Employment Insurance benefits:

CLICK servicecanada.gc.ca
CALL 1 800 206-7218
VISIT a Service Canada Centre