EI

Sickness benefits
It is important to read the following instructions and gather the necessary information. This will help ensure that there are no delays in processing your application.

You will need to provide the following personal information:

your Social Insurance Number (SIN) - if your SIN begins with a 9, you will need to provide proof of your immigration status and work permit;
your mother's maiden name;
you will need to obtain a medical certificate signed by your doctor;
your mailing and residential addresses, including postal codes (if you do not have a usual place of residence, you must apply in person at your local Service Canada Centre);
your complete banking information, including branch/transit number, financial institution name and number, and your account number (as shown on your cheque or bank statement), to have your payments deposited automatically into your bank account using direct deposit;
if you are receiving or will receive a pension, you will need to provide the type of pension (e.g. CPP/QPP, insurance, retirement pension from an employer), the start date, amount, and who is paying the pension. If you do not have this information at this time, you will need to provide it to us by calling 1-800-206-7218.
You will need to provide the following employment information:

the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all employers you worked for in the last 52 weeks, as well as the dates of employment and the reasons for separation from these employers;
your detailed version of the facts if you quit or were dismissed from any job in the last 52 weeks;
if your earnings varied over the last year, you will need to provide the dates (Sunday to Saturday) and earnings for each of your highest paid weeks of insurable earnings in the last 52 weeks or since the start of your last EI claim, whichever is the shorter period. This information will be used, along with your Record(s) of Employment, to calculate your weekly EI benefit rate;
Record(s) of Employment:
If your employer(s) submits ROEs electronically to Service Canada, you do not need to request copies from your employer(s), and you do not have to provide copies to Service Canada.
If your employer issues ROEs in paper format, you must request all ROEs issued during the last 52 weeks and provide them to Service Canada as soon as possible after you submit your EI application. You must mail us your paper ROEs or drop them off in person at a Service Canada Centre.
Reactivating or terminating a previous EI claim

If you started a new claim for EI benefits within the past 52 weeks, and there are weeks still payable on that claim, it will be reactivated when you complete this application online.

If you prefer to terminate your existing claim and begin another EI claim, do not start the application at this time. To terminate a claim, you must first contact us by calling 1-800-206-7218 (TTY: 1-800-529-3742). Your decision to terminate a claim is final and cannot be changed.

If your existing claim is reactivated and you have worked since the start of that claim, you may be able to establish a new claim when this claim runs out.

To establish a new claim, you must have enough insurable hours and meet the qualifying conditions.
If you start a new claim instead of reactivating your existing claim, the remaining weeks payable on the existing claim will be lost.
Before you start receiving benefits, there is a waiting period for which you will not be paid.
Note: If you require additional information to help you make the decision to reactivate or terminate an existing claim, this information is only available by phone at 1-800-206-7218 (TTY: 1-800-529-3742).

Help section
If you encounter any difficulties while completing the application, click on the help icon next to the question or refer to the "Help for this page" located at the top of some pages.