They are giving me a hell of a time. They cut off my benefits because they "couldn't get ahold of me", yet they sent me mail and I put my new address and phone number on the PAPER I handed in. I swear, someone there is an idiot and the more crap that happens, the more I am beginning to like my new home. The Canadian government are a bunch of incompetent idiots.

I believe I should gte all the money that they owe me though so I am appealing. I have the law on my side. Wish me luck. Thanks. Good luck to you all.

The do have to be able to get a hold of you to ensure ur looking for work!! You can thank all the idiots that just sit back and claim EI and don't bother looking for work. Thats one of the tricks for the slackers--they dont answer the phone or reply back via mail!!
Good luck on the appeal! I had to appeal mine as they deemed me unelgible for benefits ( i quit tghe military after 12 yrs) and I won. Best of luck

Thank you.

Well, of course they have to be able to get ahold of you. The point is, they didn't try as I gave them my phone nuimber and address. They tried to say that I didn't even give any contact info and it was right on the page I handed in. I also received something in the mail from them at this address. They never called me one time. I have an answering machine so they could have left a message. I will win.

This may have been addressed in the old thread or may be fairly obvious but will you still qualify for EI if you have *ahem* a year of back taxes owing?

Advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

Thats a good question,never seen that on here, but I bet if u called EI they could tell ya. My hunch (and only a hunch) if you have an outstanding amount of $$$$ due to the govt, they will grab it!!

I'll check it out but I have a feeling that would happen as well. Even so, I don't actually owe that much so I guess it's one way to pay off my taxes! If I received my full claim I would hopefully still end up ahead.

exactly, 1 way or another they will get their $$$,lol

Just wanted to say i had a friend who just applied for welfare (different situation but dealing with CDN gov) - she was denied right off the bat and her adviser said - appeal it.. that's the way the system works - the squeeky wheel gets the grease and they don't expect you to appeal - once you do they will give it to you... a couple of weeks later she had her $$..

Best of luck!!

So after reading this, I'm a wee bit confused. I'm leaving exactly a week and a half after my last day at work, so should I wait until I hit the US before I file for EI? I don't understand this "two week period" thing, and I'm also not sure whether I'll be eligible since I don't know if I made the minimum cutoff point for hours.

So much stuff to understand

In the Toronto or Mississauga area, you need 600 something hours to qualify in the 52 week period (as I understand it)

I'm not sure if I made the cut too cuz I wasn't working for about 3 months earlier this year after I relocated to mississauga to help my parents out with some family health stuff.. (wasn't collecting EI)

I don't understand the "two week period" either.....................

I belive the 2 week period is sort of like a deductible!! Sort of like ur car insurance, you have a deductible to be paid before you get the service completed on ur car after an accident. I need more coffee,lol

so the first two weeks, they take from our payments?

You just get no payments, the first two weeks. Im not exactly sure, as its been awhile!! Could be longer if you had a severance package!

Yes, from what I know of this process, you automatically have a 2 week delay - plus say you get vacation pay of 2 weeks and/or a bonus or severance pay of some type - this is all deducted from your payment, so in theory you can wait many weeks to get a payment.

The thing is (I'm just saying this from memory) it's not like a dollar for dollar thing. So say you are entitled to $ 300 a week from EI, and you get a $ 900 payout of holiday pay - you don't automatically lose 3 weeks of EI. It's more complicated than that.

With EI you are allowed to make X number of dollars each week before they start to reduce your payment, so that is taken in to account too.

The best thing to do, while it may be somewhat of a grey area, is to get your vacation pay owing paid out to you several weeks before you resign (this may or may not be frowned upon and I'm not going to court with anyone who does this - just for clarification ) .

anyone know if you need a EAD for parental benefits? i just applied for regular ones but havent got my final ROE.. and if i can get parental since my son was born on the 10th id like to do that...

No, you do not EAD for parental benefits. I have been on Mat/parental leave since Oct of 06 and became a US resident in July and have continued to collect them. Also with your parental benfits you are not subject to the non-resident withholding tax.

Parental Leave (Mother or Father is eligible) - 37 Weeks @ 55%, Maternity leave (Mother only) - 17 Weeks @ 55%. I would think that you would want your ROE to reflect that you are going on Parental leave and not quiting outright and then officially quit after your parental leave is up. I'm not sure on this as in my situation I will be returning to work in Canada. Give the EI Out of Country Claims Office a call - they were very helpful to me 1-866-486-1650.

*crosses fingers* I applied for EI today! Here's hoping that nothing catastrophic will happen.

I spoke to a really nice woman on the phone who gave me awesome instructions. A few false starts here and there, but overall I'm hoping to get my packet in the mail soon. (Okay, so I'm dying for something to do )

The only thing I really need to do is get my ROE from a past employer - since I have absolutely no paystubs, I'm going to hope that a few emails from that job will suffice for proof of employment.

EI tip... the envelope that they supply you with to return your info and cards to Belleville, Ontario does NOT have "Canada" on it. My first few things sent to them (cards, info, etc.) never arrived there... then I had a look at the self-addressed envelope in the next set of correspondence and no country listed on it! No wonder why it never arrived. How the hell would USPS know where to send it?

Anyway, write down CANADA on the envelope they provide you.

USPS doesn't know where Ontario is??

sounds like they're in the wrong business if they don't

Says Belleville, ON (ON could be anywhere in the world). It's not really their job to guess where "ON" is. It's the job of the person sending the letter to make sure it's compliant to their standards.

If you sent something to say... NM or CA or VA through Canada Post that didn't specify USA on it, I'm sure it wouldn't get their either.

I was joking..

Ah!

But anyway, yeah, make sure you write down "Canada" on the return envelope!

I guess they decided to cut corners by putting "SERVICE CANADA" at the top of the envelope and not at the bottom for the country...

Quick question - are we able to file our reports electronically, or does it have to be mailed in? I received an access code, but haven't tried to do it electronically in case I fankled something up. Knowing my luck...

You can go online and see your claim and see when funds get approved etc. but it won't let you file electronically that I know of. If you try I believe it gives you an error report. The reports for out of country have to be mailed in (or if you sweet talk the girls nicely sometimes they will take them over the phone).

When you send them the information .. make sure to include a copy of your passport visa stamp showing the entry with a K1 .. and you will need your ROE as well

is there a way to check your status online... i doubt it huh?

Status of what? Payments and claim information after it's been approved there is.. http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/ei/appl..._preamble.shtml

You will need the 4 digit code from the bottom of your first set of cards (like a pin).

but as far as checking things online before they approve you for benefits no go.. nope..

started getting my parental benefits..

man they tax you on it living in the US!

Believe its 25% right off the bat?? Maybe its more, been awhile. But one may be able to get some of that back if you file cdn taxes! Forget the form to do so, sooo early in the morn,lol

I can't see the archived thread-it just sends me to a login page.

the hubby doesn't want to call-he just wants to fill out the online form. is that going to be possible? I'm trying to tread very lightly here cause he was really expecting to get a job right away (there are companies that keep saying that they really want him but the next project is going to start "next week").

Anyway, now it looks like he should file for EI. So, he's asked for his ROE-the tiny company that he worked for for 14 years didn't automatically give it to him. he's got his visa stamp and SSN card. Anything else he's going to need to file?

thanks

This is the list for K-1 that I have (you'd have to tweak it for CR-1)

- Copy of ROE
- Copy of I-94
- Copy of Marraige Licence
- Copy of NOA for EAD & AOS
- Copy of SSA "Work Authorization" statements listed With Applicable sections CLEARLY marked.


I did apply online with no worries (remember that your province is ON for filing because the out of Canada claims unit is in ON), but you will need to mail in the ROE & the supporting documentation to them (or fax it) to the out of country claims office.. Can your husband contact his last employer and ask for one to be faxed to him in the US?

Belleville Service Canada Centre
1 N. Front St.
PO Box 4800
Belleville ON
K89 5E2

613-969-3479 (ph)
877-486-1650
(613) 969-3347 (fax) I have also faxed over documentation to them as well (always following it up with a mailed copy).

Found this brochure as well today very helpful -

http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/ei/publ...tsidecanada.pdf

I was a cr-1. All I submitted was my ROE, SSN card ( i think). A Cr-1 doesnt get a EAD or a I-94. I may have submitted a copy of our wedding cert. Not sure why he doesnt want to call. Always best to get the answer from them,lol For the most part they are great to deal with.

Why would you have to give the CDNs a copy of the SSN card Flames? Just curious mostly.. that doesn't make sence to me why they would even want that.

Its been awhile (Jan 05) since I applied for EI!! I called and simply sent in what they asked for. Was all pretty painless. Well except that i got denied at first (was military and i had a contract, blah blah) but I appealed and won,lol
And when dealing with the gov't, stuff doesn't have to make sense,lol

True that!

As well I think I had to send some sort of ID. Think I photocopied my passport!! I'm sure someone else will chime in

Right you are Flames I had to send a photo copy of the passport, the K-1 Visa and the I-94. I think I sent along a copy of the Marriage Cerificate too

thanks, his old office manager is sending him the ROE today-we and she didn't know that he would need it but she's trying to get it together quickly. I guess we could send them a copy of our marriage cert-we've been married 4 years so it's not quite like the K1 where the visa is dependent on getting married quickly.

anyway, thanks for the replies-especially the thing about address in ON

Flames-I assume that he doesn't want to call cause he's a boy and boys are weird, but you being a boy and questioning that reasoning may make me go from the general "boys are weird" to the more specific "hubby is weird" It's a happier world view for me to just generalize and not think too hard about my particular boy being particularly weird.

ok so...

I cannot check my parental claim online or over the phone...

is it because i had a previous one?

Im getting paid already too.


and when i went to use the pin they gave me it wouldnt work..

but my old one still did.

If I'm on EI in Canada and I sneak down to Florida for a couple weeks to see my hubby, do you think the government will catch on? And if I do get in trouble will it affect my immigration (we're still waiting for case completion with NVC)?
I know you guys can't really say for sure, but I'd still like to hear some opinions
Sorry if it's a bit off topic for this forum

doubt they will know.. I was on it and went to Toronto for a bit.. I also had a friend go to spain for a month and he filed the card online.

If they do, well, it wont be a happy ending!!! Always best to tell the truth!!

I'm with Flames on this one.. might as well tell the truth.. saves worry and paying back the CDN gov!

I'm sure if you did get caught, they would deduct more $$$ than the time you were away!! What are the chances of getting caught?? who knows, probably slim.

Anyone know what happens if you have an open claim in Canada - and then get laid off in the US? Could you technically get EI again ?

Argh! You didn't get laid off did you? Have you still been sending in your cards or did they stop that when you got a job? I guess it depends on whether they actually closed your claim or not. A call to the office is in order I think. *hugs*

On my note, I think they are closing my claim because I think I make too much with self-employment (which I declare to them on each set of cards). After I sent in my last set of cards my online message changed to that they have new information and that they are going to make a decision. Bear in mind that I have not received any money from them as I've been self-employed since I got my EAD. I wonder if I should just call/write them to close my claim or wait for the denial.

I'm about to be me thinks.. it's just a matter of when.. long story..

I did tell them to stop sending cards.. cause i had a job.. but i didn't tell them to close my claim..

I will give 'em a call see awhat's up.. Hubby says that i'm elligible for UI here in the State of CT cause my employer has been paying in.. i hope that's true!!

SUCKY on your claim... i wouldn't close it.. who knows but you could have a week or somethign where you need it? Speaking from my experience here..

It's possible that they closed the claim when you told them to stop sending cards. I think check into what you get through the State of CT first and take that over EI (since they tax you so much on out of country payments).

Yeah, maybe I"ll just wait to see what their "decision" is. I really think they're just going to close it.

Hopefully you'll get this all sorted out soon! *hugs*

I have a crazy peace in this all.. even with the uncertanty that both my hubby & I work togther same place, same fate.. it will work out.. just difficult with the holidays coming.. perhaps they will be a wee bit delayed this year