How do I apply for EI benefits?
- do not have to wait one week to get your first payment
- can get EI benefits and separation earnings, such as termination, severance, and vacation pay, at the same time
For claims that start between June 15, 2025, and June 12, 2027, you may also get an extra 20 weeks, up to a maximum of 65 weeks, of EI regular benefits if you:
- got at least one week of regular benefits
- got fewer than 36 weeks of EI regular or fishing benefits in the 3 years before your claim starts
- paid at least 30% of the annual maximum EI premiums for at least 7 of the 10 years before your claim starts
There's a new temporary measure for claims that start between October 11, 2026, and October 9, 2027, if you left your most recent job through no fault of your own. You can get EI payments based on any hours and earnings from all during your .
Read more about temporary EI measures.
To apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits you must fill out an application online. The online application will give you instructions for sending your documents to Service Canada. If you do not have internet access at home, you can apply at a Service Canada Office using one of their internet kiosks or at a public internet access site like a library.
Before you go to the Service Canada Office in your area, you should call to find out if you need to make an appointment.
If you do not speak English or French, bring someone who can translate for you.
No matter what type of EI benefits you are applying for, you should apply as soon as possible. It is best to apply well before the deadline.
Be sure to apply as soon as you do not have work. If you apply more than 4 weeks after you have an , it may be harder to get approved for EI. If you are approved, you might get less money. This is because there will be a large period of time where you have no hours worked and no money earned.
If you can show there was a good reason why you could not apply within 4 weeks, Service Canada staff might accept your application as though it was filed right away. This is called an “antedate”. To have good cause for the delay, you must show that you did what a reasonable person would have done to figure out the rules and apply on time.
Earnings exemptions
You are allowed to keep some of the money you earn if you work while you are collecting regular benefits, parental benefits, maternity benefits, sickness benefits, compassionate care benefits, or the family caregiver benefit for children. This is called an “earning exemption“.
