Your first 30 days after losing your job

Record of Employment expected

Your employer should issue your ROE within 5 calendar days after the final pay period.

EI application window

If you apply for Employment Insurance (EI) more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits.

Reporting cadence

You will have to submit reports to Service Canada every 2 weeks for as long as you receive benefits.

Your last day of work was within the past 4 weeks, so you are inside the window the 4-week rule describes. Do not wait to apply.

Your social insurance number (SIN).

Your mailing and residential addresses.

Your banking information to sign up for direct deposit: financial institution, transit number, and account number. All three appear on a cheque or in your online banking details.

Details about all employment in the past 52 weeks, including the reason for separation.

You can send required documents after you apply.

Based on the rate of unemployment in your region, you will need between 420 and 700 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period to qualify for regular benefits.

The ROE is the form your employer completes, electronically or on paper, for an employee with insurable earnings who stops working and has an interruption of earnings. You do not fill it out.

Check whether your ROE has been issued: sign in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA) and select "Records of Employment".

If you have requested the ROE and it has not been issued within this timeframe, contact Service Canada.

EI regular benefits pay 55% of a claimant's average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount.

As of January 1, 2026, the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $68,900. This means that you can receive a maximum amount of $729 per week.

You can receive EI from 14 weeks up to a maximum of 45 weeks, depending on the unemployment rate in your region and the hours of insurable employment you accumulated.

Temporary measure currently in effect. you may receive 20 additional weeks of regular benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks, if you: have a claim that starts between June 15, 2025, and October 10, 2026... Applies to claims starting between June 15, 2025 and October 10, 2026.

The published rule is that there is 1 week you will not be paid, called the waiting period.

Temporary measure currently in effect. Under the temporary measure, the waiting period is waived for all new claims for EI benefits that start between March 30, 2025, and October 10, 2026. Applies to claims starting between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026.

A benefit statement is mailed to you shortly after you apply for EI benefits. The statement includes your access code, a four-digit number.

Temporary measure currently in effect. if your claim or the allocation starts between March 30, 2025, and October 10, 2026, earnings from separation are not deducted from your benefits. Applies to claims starting between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026.

What your employer owes you on separation is a separate question from EI, with its own rules by province.

EI benefits are taxable, no matter what type of benefits you receive.