Online Application for Employment Insurance (EI) Benefits

Most employees whose employment ends or who need time off to care for a new child or an illness, are entitled to at least one type of Employment Insurance (EI) benefit. There are seven different types of benefits available to employees:

• Regular benefits,
• Maternity benefits and parental benefits,
• Sickness benefits,
• Compassionate care benefits,
• Fishing benefits,
• The Family Caregiver Benefit for Children, and
• The Family Caregiver Benefit for Adults.

Before starting your application

To fill out the application form, Make sure you have the following information to complete your Employment Insurance (EI) application:

• your social insurance number (SIN)
• the last name at birth of one of your parents
• your mailing and residential addresses, including the postal codes
• your complete banking information to sign up for direct deposit, including:
• your financial institution name
• your bank branch (transit) number
• your account number
• the names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for all your employers over the last 52 weeks
• your detailed version of the facts (if you quit or were dismissed from any job in the past 52 weeks)
• the dates, Sunday to Saturday, and earnings for each of your highest paid weeks of insurable earnings in the last 52 weeks or since the start of your last EI claim, whichever is the shorter period
• your banking information, if you wish to have your EI payment directly deposited into your bank account

WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?

You may be entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits if you:

• were employed in insurable employment;
• lost your job through no fault of your own;
• have been without work and without pay for at least seven consecutive days in the last 52 weeks;
• have worked for the required number of insurable employment hours in the last 52 weeks or since the start of your last EI claim, whichever is shorter;
• Can’t work due to sickness or pregnancy
• Take a leave of absence to take care of a newborn or a newly adopted child
• Are critically ill/injured
• Have to take care of a family member who is critically ill with a significant risk of death.
• are ready, willing and capable of working each day;
• are actively looking for work (you must keep a written record of employers you contact, including when you contacted them).

Submit an application online

To apply for all types of EI benefits, you must submit an application online on the Government of Canada website. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can apply online at any Service Canada Centre using one of the computers they have available. To maximize the amount of benefits you receive, you should submit your application as soon as you leave your job.

If you receive EI benefits, you have to complete a report every two weeks to show you are eligible to receive these payouts. So, for each report the applicant needs to:

• Include dates and hours worked as well as earnings before any deductions
• Provide contact details of employers
• Mention hours spent at school or during a training course
• Indicate if you are available for work

You can submit reports using the Internet Reporting Service as well as the Telephone Reporting Service. Further, the EI reporting calendar will help users track their hours and earnings.

If you are eligible for benefits your payment will usually be issued within 28 days from the date that you filed your claim. If you are not eligible for benefits, you will be notified in writing of this decision. If you have questions about your application, contact Service Canada.

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