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How do I apply for Employment Insurance (EI)?
✓ Verified answer Written from official pages, with checked citations and a verification date.
Regular Employment Insurance is for people who lost their job through no fault of their own. You apply online on Canada.ca, as soon as possible after your last day of work. If you wait more than 4 weeks, you may lose weeks of benefits. You can apply even if your employer has not yet issued your record of employment. Service Canada aims to give you a decision within 28 days.
Official page: Regular EI benefits – Apply (Canada.ca) ↗
Key facts
- Deadline to apply
- As soon as possible; more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose weeks of benefits
- Documents and information
- SIN, a parent’s last name at birth, addresses, banking information, details of jobs in the last 52 weeks, records of employment (ROE) from each employer
- Time to complete the online application
- About 1 hour
- Decision time
- Service standard: within 28 days of your application, aimed at 80% of the time
- First payment
- About 28 days after you apply, if you are eligible and provided all required information
- Waiting period
- One week with no benefits before payments begin
Steps
- Apply as soon as possible after your last day of work. After more than 4 weeks, you may lose weeks of benefits.
- Gather your information: social insurance number (SIN), a parent’s last name at birth, mailing and home addresses with postal codes, and banking information for direct deposit.
- Prepare the details of all your jobs in the last 52 weeks (or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter).
- If your SIN starts with a 9, have proof of your immigration status and work permit ready.
- Fill out and submit your application online on Canada.ca. Plan for about 1 hour.
- Do not hold back your application if your record of employment (ROE) is missing: you can apply anyway and send documents afterward. Service Canada needs an ROE for each employer.
- After applying, quickly provide any missing documents or information. While you receive benefits, you will have to submit a report every 2 weeks.
General information drawn from official sources. It does not replace legal, medical or financial advice. For your situation, contact the organization concerned or a professional.
Sources
- Assurance-emploi et prestations régulières – Présenter une demande (Service Canada / Emploi et Développement social Canada)
- Assurance-emploi et prestations régulières – Une fois votre demande présentée (Service Canada / Emploi et Développement social Canada)
- Assurance-emploi et prestations régulières (Service Canada / Emploi et Développement social Canada)
Checked on October 4, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.
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