Free guide · Canada (Service Canada)
Laid off: how to apply for EI, in the order it matters
The deadline first, then the application, then the paperwork your employer owes Service Canada. This page states the published rules for EI regular benefits. It does not decide your claim.
Start here
If you apply for Employment Insurance (EI) more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits.
Service Canada's own instruction on the application page is blunt about it: do not wait to apply. EI regular benefits: apply →
The 4 weeks run from your last day of work, not from the day your employer files anything and not from the day your final pay lands.
Apply now: what to have in front of you
- ✓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.
- ✓Details about all employment in the past 52 weeks, including the reason for separation.
Missing something? Apply anyway. You can send required documents after you apply. The 4-week clock does not pause while you gather paperwork.
On eligibility, the published structure has two parts: you need to have lost your job through no fault of your own, and, 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. EI regular benefits: eligibility →
The Record of Employment (ROE)
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. Record of Employment, explained →
When your employer has to issue it
The claimant-facing rule is the simple one: your employer should issue your ROE within 5 calendar days after the final pay period. The employer-side deadlines are more detailed and depend on the pay cycle and on whether the ROE is electronic or paper.
- Electronic, on weekly, biweekly, or semi-monthly pay: 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period in which an employee's interruption of earnings occurs.
- Electronic, on monthly pay or 13 pay periods a year: whichever comes first of 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period, or 15 calendar days after the first day of the interruption of earnings.
- Paper: within 5 calendar days of the first day of an interruption of earnings, or of the day the employer becomes aware of it.
For electronic ROEs, the data is transmitted directly to Service Canada's database, and employers no longer need to print a paper copy for their employees. There is often nothing for you to hand in.
If your ROE has not appeared
Sign in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA) and select "Records of Employment" to check. If you have requested the ROE and it has not been issued within this timeframe, contact Service Canada.
What the program pays, and for how long
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. EI: benefit amount →
These amounts are set each January. Check the official page before relying on the figure.
How many weeks
You can receive EI from 14 weeks up to a maximum of 45 weeks. The number of weeks depends on the unemployment rate in your region and the hours of insurable employment you accumulated.
Temporary measure in effect: additional weeks for long-tenured workers. 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. EI temporary measures (Canada.ca) →
After you apply
The waiting period
The published rule is that there is 1 week you will not be paid, called the waiting period.
Temporary measure in effect: the waiting period is waived. 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. EI temporary measures (Canada.ca) →
Biweekly reports
You will have to submit reports to Service Canada every 2 weeks for as long as you receive benefits.
Your access code
A benefit statement is mailed to you shortly after you apply for EI benefits. The statement includes your access code, a four-digit number.
Severance and other money from your employer
What your employer owes you when you are let go is a separate question from EI, with its own rules in each province. This page does not cover it.
Temporary measure in effect: earnings from separation. 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. EI temporary measures (Canada.ca) →
One thing to plan for: EI benefits are taxable, no matter what type of benefits you receive.
Not sure what you still need to do?
Guidepost
Before we begin
Generating: employment paperwork
Guidepost generates document templates and step-by-step process guides based on your answers. We are not a law firm, and nothing we provide is legal advice.
The documents you receive are templates designed to cover typical situations and meet standard provincial requirements, but every situation is different.
If your situation is complex, you have been offered a release to sign, or the situation involves harassment or human rights, consult a lawyer or notary in your province before completing the transaction.
By continuing you acknowledge that Guidepost provides informational document templates only, and that you are not receiving legal advice.
Common Questions
How long do I have to apply for EI after being laid off?
If you apply for Employment Insurance (EI) more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits. Service Canada's own instruction is not to wait to apply.
Do I have to wait for my Record of Employment before I apply?
Apply right away. You can send required documents after you apply. Your employer should issue your ROE within 5 calendar days after the final pay period, and electronic ROEs go straight to Service Canada.
How much does EI pay?
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.
How many hours do I need to qualify for EI regular benefits?
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, on top of having lost your job through no fault of your own.
Are EI benefits taxable?
EI benefits are taxable, no matter what type of benefits you receive.
Related guides
Official sources
- EI regular benefits: apply →
- EI regular benefits: eligibility →
- EI regular benefits: benefit amount →
- EI regular benefits: after you apply →
- Record of Employment guide (Service Canada) →
- EI temporary measures for major economic conditions →
Last updated: August 2026
Guidepost is not a law firm. This is general information, not legal advice, and nothing here decides your claim. Verify current rules and amounts with Service Canada. Full disclaimer.