You guys are the best..Thank you for all your input..It just keeps getting funnier and funnier(in a not so funny way!haha) I spoke to a rep at E.I. last week who told me and I'll quote**There is absolutely NO way to get my information in except by mailing** And I'm all **BUT BUT.. I just recieved the card and it was due 3 weeks ago**..lol and hes's all **oh well just send it**.. so today I called because I finally received my final paycheck..and the lady on the phone did my cards for 4 weeks to catch me up over the phone(keep in mind I have not yet received the cards due 2 weeks ago..nevermind the ones I need to do this friday!! so..if you get the RIGHT person on the phone..they will take the info..but I haven't yet been approved!! I'm a little worried she kept saying things like..well..you aren't ready and able to work because you don;t have your EAD...so hmmmmmmm I guess I'll just cross my fingers and pray to the E.I. gods?? lmao!

Shawna

ok ok wait..the **real** EAD!??! do share how I can appear to have one of those puppies!?!? hahaha these people are making me squirelly!! because they ask if I have one..and I say no..maybe i should say..i dunno..lmao! I'm cracking myself up because I'm making no sense..but neither does E.I so you should have no trouble figuring out what I'm saying...hehe

hmmmmmm I can't work on my K1..in fact..I have a social security # and that states I can't work until I have my EAD..its strange..it seems some people can..and others can't..I can't even get my new drivers license until I get a reciept that says i've applied for my AOS.. **pulling my hair out** haha oh well...at least I'm with my hubby right?? i'm still trying to figure out why I can't work in these 90 days though...

hmmmmmm I can't work on my K1..in fact..I have a social security # and that states I can't work until I have my EAD..its strange..it seems some people can..and others can't..I can't even get my new drivers license until I get a reciept that says i've applied for my AOS.. **pulling my hair out** haha oh well...at least I'm with my hubby right?? i'm still trying to figure out why I can't work in these 90 days though...

hahahah barely!! I think I just pulled out my last bunch! I was just out for dinner with a couple..and the husband immigrated last year from vietnam..HE was able to work when he first arrived in hawaii!! why can't I!?!?(not that I'm so desperate to work)hahaha I'm just curious why I've been given a social security card that says no..*reaching for hair to pull..oops..i'm bald now..reaching for hubbys hair to pull**..lmao!

I am nearing my last payment of the initial 90 day period (the theoretical EAD that all K1's have discussed in many previous posts.

I was told by EI that my claim goes on hold at that time until I can provide proof of the real EAD or Green card. Has anyone been through this recently and did you simply fax them or give them a call and mail it to get things started again?

I JUST got the email indicating EAD card production was ordered, so I won't have much of a gap! Yippee

I am nearing my last payment of the initial 90 day period (the theoretical EAD that all K1's have discussed in many previous posts.

I was told by EI that my claim goes on hold at that time until I can provide proof of the real EAD or Green card. Has anyone been through this recently and did you simply fax them or give them a call and mail it to get things started again?

I JUST got the email indicating EAD card production was ordered, so I won't have much of a gap! Yippee

It's not great - but

its been 2 weeks since i've been here in the states and i still havent gotten my ROE from when i was in canada ... CANADAPOST SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Correct. You're on a K1 like I was...so essentially because on a K1 you *can* get your EAD when you cross the border, they consider you eligible to work. That is regardless of whether or not you actually *get* the document. I didn't, so was ineligible to work, so didn't apply. It almost cost me my benefits altogether. I would suggest that you call the toll free number posted above (I think flames9 posted it) and review your exact situation with them for timing.



One of the questions you answer on the weekly timecard you send back to EI is if you were able and willing to work. Without an EAD you are unable to work. Again, because I kind of did mine backwards, I'd ask HRDC *exactly* what you need to file when.



The amount you are paid and for how long is dependent on how much salary you were paid in a specific amount of weeks prior to not being employed. In my case, I was eligible for maximum $$ benefits but for 22 weeks total. I received 8 weeks of benefits before I started a full time job.



Yes. Although as I said above, there's some weirdness about the K1...HRDC considers you eligible based on the K1 'theory' but in practice not every POE gives an EAD stamp when processing your K1. So if I were you I'd call and ask, using exact dates (if you have them) of when you're stopping work, when you're moving to the US, and what will happen if you get your EAD from the POE and you have work stoppage or if you don't get your EAD until after you marry and are adjusting status.

Hope that helps.

Just gettign cards doesnt mean ur approved!! Best to phone them

How long did it take before you were approved? At this rate, he'll have his EAD before they even send a payment

Please forgive me if I'm asking a question that has already been asked. I've tried to read through some of the posts, but I don't understand EI in the first place, since dh is the Canadian, I the American.

So, in short, here is our story:

Dh just got his IR1 (by DCF) approved. We are debating rather to find a job then move or move then look for a job. Would he be eligible for EI and how do we go about it? And what is the best way to go, move first or find a job first? I'm gathering that it's before a job is found. Sorry if these are dumb questions, I'm totally lost with this!

Oh and if it applies to us, how much is is and how soon does one receive it?

Since the old thread is disabled, I'm lost


I called EI and they said that unless I get the EAD stamp when I cross the border, my K-1 is useless to use to file because I must have permission to work, and if the K-1 gives me work status that is something I have to taken up with US immigration!

So someone please give me the bottom line before I rupture something continuing to try to arrange to cross at Windsor to try to get the stamp.

No no no! File for EI regardless of whether or not you get the EAD stamp at the border. I didn't file until after my post marriage EAD card time frame....Canada EI phoned me after applying and asked why I didn't apply immediately after crossing the border.

When I told them the border wouldn't give me the stamp and border also told me I couldn't work immediately, Canada EI answered "if you'd just sent in your I-94, you could have collected during those 90 days." I asked if the I-94 card itself counted as work authorization. The lady said yes it is.

Now whether the I-94 counts as work authorization or not in the US is still a mystery. But for EI purposes it does.

the info that I got from the EI woman was that when I file, I must include:
Original record of employment
Letter proving my FI works in the US
Photocopy of Work Auth. Document to prove I am able to work in the US
Photocopy of my Visa


and I should probably toss in a copy of my marriage license when I get it. (Sorry about the errant punctuation and capitalization, I'm on a grumpy old laptop)

She said If I do not have the I-94, file anyway IMMEDIATELY and they will put your application on hold until they receive the missing work auth. documents and then they will complete it and start giving you the payments. No work auth, no money for those months you didn't have work auth. to be employed in the US.

I tried to run with just a K-1 but the woman said that if that will give me auth. to work in the US enough for filing EI that is something i have to work out with USCIS.

So I'm back to going through windsor and praying that I get the I-94.

I like that you're being thorough. But I think the information you got was not quite right. They don't need to know that your spouse/fiance in the US works or not. You should be filing for EI before you get married. Should be filing the day you arrive in the US.

The work authorization document proving work authorization will be the I-94 regardless of it's stamped with the 90 day work stamp or not.

Everybody gets an I-94. Hardly anybody gets an I-94 with the stamp.

The I-94 is a recipe sized card that they staple to your passport. This is what signifies the start and end of your K-1. So if you cross on May 18th, it'll say May 18th and Aug 18th (might not be Aug 18th, but it will be 90 days into the future).

The 90 day work authorization stamp has traditionally been stamped on to the I-94. But for whatever reason they don't appear to be giving out these stamps unless you go to a certain POE. I believe the work authorization stamps says "employment authorized until _____." but I'm not sure. (I never got one)


My Record of Employment never said relocated for marriage. Just said quit. But I think you can manually enter in your reason when you sign up for EI. A photocopy of your K-1 and passport will show that you did indeed move for spouse anyways. (Who else would get a K-1 visa?)

As for the filed within 4 weeks deal? Earlier is better. Remember, they're counting your hours worked on your Record of Employment going back 52 weeks from the day you file. Not the last 52 weeks you worked. So if you file May 25th but stopped working April 25th, you've automatically lost one month's worth of your hours worked.

In my case, I had just about 2200 hours on my ROE. But since I filed 3 months after crossing the border, my hours got reduced to around 1500. If you're waiting a month to file, you may lose about 200 hours off your insurable hours that's listed on your ROE.

You don't need to be married to start an EI claim.

If/when your 90 days expires before you get your AOS (and 99% chance it will) you won't collect during the 91st day until the time your AOS or 2 year EAD gets approved. At that time, you can resume your original EI claim.

So basically it goes:
Day 1 to Day 90 = EI claim
Day 91 to AOS or EAD approved = no EI
AOS or EAD approved = EI claim.

liz_legend 'n Ol, did you use the "best weeks" option when you filed for EI? If so, how did you fill that out without having the ROE yet?

liz_legend 'n Ol, did you use the "best weeks" option when you filed for EI? If so, how did you fill that out without having the ROE yet?