Better← Back to the dossier: getting back on your feet financially
The end of a job rarely comes at a good time. And the first instinct, wait for the paperwork, wait until things are clear, wait until you can face it, is exactly the one that costs the most.
Apply on your last day of work. You do not need to have received your record of employment to file. And if you file more than four weeks after your last day, you risk losing benefits, and those are not recoverable.
TodayThe move to make, before anything else
You apply online, on the Service Canada website. It takes a while, but it does not wait.
Do not wait for your record of employment. This is the most common mistake. Service Canada says so itself: you can file your application even if your employer has not yet sent you that document. Your file will be completed afterwards.
The four-week rule is the one to remember: an application filed more than four weeks after the last day of work can mean losing benefits. This is not a mere administrative delay, it is money you were entitled to and will not receive.
Have ready: your social insurance number, banking details for direct deposit, dates and addresses of your recent jobs, and the reason the job ended.
A one-week waiting period normally applies before the first payment. It is currently waived for new applications, under temporary measures. Those measures have already been extended and their end date has changed: check on Canada.ca, on the Employment Insurance page, what applies on the day you file, the temporary measures page is flagged there.
The amountsHow much, and for how long
For most people, the basic rate is 55% of average weekly insurable earnings, up to a ceiling.
Since 1 January 2026, the maximum annual insurable earnings are $68,900, which gives a maximum payment of $729 a week. That ceiling is reviewed every year.
The duration runs from 14 to 45 weeks. It depends on two things: the unemployment rate in your region when you file, and the number of insurable hours accumulated over the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim, if that is more recent.
Temporary measures can extend that duration for long-tenured workers. As with the waiting period, these are dated measures: the official page states what is in force.
The real gapGetting by until the first payment
Time passes between the application and the first deposit. That is where many people tip over, not when the job ends, but a few weeks later, when the rent falls due and nothing has come in.
That period can be planned for, and there is nothing shameful about using what exists to get through it:
- food assistancefood banks, collective kitchens, emergency help;
- 211, which points you to organisations in your area;
- last-resort financial assistance, depending on your situation, which can be applied for in parallel;
- an arrangement with your creditors before falling behind, rather than after.
File the EI application the same day. Look for what covers the waiting weeks immediately after, without waiting until you are broke. Warn your creditors before the first missed payment. The three moves take a day, and they completely change the months that follow.
Frequently askedYour questions
Do I have to wait for my record of employment to apply for EI?
No. Service Canada says it clearly: you can file your application even if you have not yet received your record of employment. Waiting is precisely what costs you weeks, if you file more than four weeks after your last day of work, you risk losing benefits.
How much will I receive?
For most people, the basic rate is 55% of average weekly insurable earnings, up to a ceiling. Since 1 January 2026, the maximum annual insurable earnings are $68,900, which corresponds to a maximum of $729 a week.
How long do regular benefits last?
From 14 to 45 weeks, depending on the unemployment rate in your region when you file and the number of insurable hours accumulated over the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim, if that is more recent. Temporary measures can extend that duration for long-tenured workers.
Is there still a one-week waiting period?
The one-week waiting period is waived for new applications under temporary measures. Those measures have an end date that has already been changed: check the Employment Insurance temporary measures page on Canada.ca to know what applies on the date you file.
What if I have nothing to live on until the first payment?
That is the hardest period, and it is predictable. Food assistance, food banks and local organisations exist for this, and 211 can point you in the right direction. Depending on your situation, an application for last-resort financial assistance can also be made in parallel.
Read nextRelated articles
Official sources
- Employment Insurance regular benefits, Government of Canada (in French)
- Eligibility for regular benefits, Government of Canada (in French)
- Applying, Government of Canada (in French)
- How much you could receive, Government of Canada (in French)
About this article. General and educational information, accurate as of the date shown. It does not replace advice tailored to your situation. Employment Insurance rates, ceilings and temporary measures change: check what is in force on Canada.ca before starting a process. BetterWorld is affiliated with neither the Government of Canada nor the Government of Quebec.
Spotted an error or an out-of-date figure? Write to us: we will correct it and re-date the article. Our texts are written with the help of artificial intelligence and checked against official sources before publication, but an amount or a rule can change without us catching it. If anything here does not match what an official body tells you, they are right.