Employment Insurance
Employment Insurance (EI) provides temporary financial assistance for unemployed Canadians while they look for work or upgrade their skills. Canadians who are sick, pregnant or caring for a newborn or adopted child, as well as those who must care for a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death, may also be assisted by Employment Insurance.
Eligibility
You can apply for EI benefits if you have paid into the EI account and you are unemployed. Click here to learn about the requirements for regular, maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits.How, where and when to apply
If you think you are eligible for EI benefits, you must submit an EI application online or at your local Service Canada office.Things to have when you apply
- your Social Insurance Number (SIN). If your SIN begins with a 9, you need to supply proof of your immigration status and work permit.
- a Record of Employment (ROE) from each job held over the last 52 weeks. If you do not have your ROE after 14 days from the last day for which you were paid, you must submit proof of employment such as pay stubs.
- personal identification such as your driver's licence, birth certificate or passport if you are applying in person.
- your complete bank information, as shown on your cheque or bank statement, or a voided personalized blank cheque from your current account. This will ensure that your payment of benefits will be made directly to your bank account.
- a medical certificate if you are claiming sickness benfits.
- the SIN of the other parent if you are applying for parental benefits.
- a medical certificate for compassionate care benefits if you are applying for compassionate care benefits.
- your detailed version of facts if you quit or were dismissed from any job in the last 52 weeks.
- details regarding your most recent employment: Your total salary before deductions including tips and commissions, your salary before deductions for your last week of work — from Sunday to your last day worked — gross amounts received or to be received: vacation pay, severance pay, pension, pay in lieu of notice or lay off and other monies.
