The Canuck EI Thread

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Well, that was...awkward.

Got a call this morning from Belleville. Very serious and stern lady on the phone.

I told her I haven't received 2 reports and she verified my address. She then asked if my mail was "secure" and I said yes, it's a locked box.

She said she'd write down that "obviously we have a problem with mail getting to you" kind of rudely, like it's my fault!

She then was like "Well, I guess I'll take the information over the phone...." sigh.

It's your job, do it!!

anyway

Asked me the 5 questions then asked where I have been looking for work!!

DOH!

I haven't been looking! Who the heck is going to hire me for a month! I don't have a SSN! This is all so stupid. So I bullshitted my way out of it...."Ummm Lowe's and uhhhhh some other retailers and uhhhhh".

Snotty Lady: "Have you written down a list of the employers and how you contacted them"?

Me: "No, is that something I should be doing?"

Snotty Lady: "Yes, that's something you agreed to in the terms and conditions, do it from now on".

Me: "Okay".

Whatever. They should just give us the money for a certain period without asking if we went to school or worked or whatever. They know we are here on a K1 visa which doesn't allow us to work but does...we payed into EI anyhow just dish it out until we get jobs.

LOL

I totally lied to them and they are still giving me money. Stupid.

I hope that I start getting reports again so I don't have to do this ####### over the phone ever again.

[Emancipation 2]

Laura did you make sure that they put the street number first and then any apartment number after? I seem to recall it was EI that was putting Apt # first, then street number (as they do in Canada) but the US postmen can't follow that logic, so it has to be written manually the other way. If they fill in the boxes the standard way it will print out all funny.. they have to adjust it so that the street # comes first.. Just a thought I had when reading your post.

Edited September 26, 2008 by Emancipation

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Laura did you make sure that they put the street number first and then any apartment number after? I seem to recall it was EI that was putting Apt # first, then street number (as they do in Canada) but the US postmen can't follow that logic, so it has to be written manually the other way. If they fill in the boxes the standard way it will print out all funny.. they have to adjust it so that the street # comes first.. Just a thought I had when reading your post.

Yeah, the way they have it and have mailed to me is the Apt 58 comes after the address.

There is no reason why it wouldn't get to me.

[Emancipation 2]

Laura did you make sure that they put the street number first and then any apartment number after? I seem to recall it was EI that was putting Apt # first, then street number (as they do in Canada) but the US postmen can't follow that logic, so it has to be written manually the other way. If they fill in the boxes the standard way it will print out all funny.. they have to adjust it so that the street # comes first.. Just a thought I had when reading your post.

Yeah, the way they have it and have mailed to me is the Apt 58 comes after the address.

There is no reason why it wouldn't get to me.

bummer

[Flames9_RN 358]

The rules are that u have to be looking for work, no different than if your in Canada! and if they phone and you don't have a list available, they can put an immediate stop to your $$$, its called screening ur calls,lol and of course be out looking for work, and have that list available! lol

[Texanadian 10]

Laura,

A few things to note.

Sometimes they send out 1 paper (with 2 weeks on it). Sometimes they send out 2 papers (with 4 weeks total on them).

On mine, they seemed to alternate back and forth. Sometimes I would get an EI card to fill out in the mail a few weeks after the last one that had came. Sometimes it would be a month or so before I'd receive them. From the sounds of things, you got the 2 week card to start and now you're waiting for the 4 week card. Be prepared to wait is all I can say.

Living in Texas, it takes a while to mail them down here and then mail them back (even though I always mailed them out the day after receiving them). But the online date that says you have 3 weeks to mail xx date was never accurate. Basically EI was always 1 month behind what the real date was. So if it was Sept 27th, I'd be getting a payment for August 9th and 16th.

I live in an apartment. They always mailed them out as

Texanadian

60-2500 Main St.

.

.

.

It never showed up as 2500 Main St, Apt 60.

I would however write "Canada" on the bottom of their reply envelope every time. As I'm not sure if the US postal system knows where Belleville, ON is.

[S & J 0]

Just wanted to gives a heads up if you get the wrong return envelope to mail back the ei card with. I received one for Revenue Accounting Canada Immigration in Ottawa. Scared the pants off of me, LOL!

So after searching the net trying to figure out why I received that envelope, I finally broke down and called the EI office in Belleville (1-877-486-1650). Ends up the envelope was sent to me in error. If anyone else runs into this or loses their envelope...all EI cards should be mailed to:

Human Resources Development Canada

Unemployment Insurance Program

PO Box 4500

Belleville, ON K8N 5C1

CANADA

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Laura,

A few things to note.

Sometimes they send out 1 paper (with 2 weeks on it). Sometimes they send out 2 papers (with 4 weeks total on them).

On mine, they seemed to alternate back and forth. Sometimes I would get an EI card to fill out in the mail a few weeks after the last one that had came. Sometimes it would be a month or so before I'd receive them. From the sounds of things, you got the 2 week card to start and now you're waiting for the 4 week card. Be prepared to wait is all I can say.

Living in Texas, it takes a while to mail them down here and then mail them back (even though I always mailed them out the day after receiving them). But the online date that says you have 3 weeks to mail xx date was never accurate. Basically EI was always 1 month behind what the real date was. So if it was Sept 27th, I'd be getting a payment for August 9th and 16th.

I live in an apartment. They always mailed them out as

Texanadian

60-2500 Main St.

.

.

.

It never showed up as 2500 Main St, Apt 60.

I would however write "Canada" on the bottom of their reply envelope every time. As I'm not sure if the US postal system knows where Belleville, ON is.

Thanks hon!! super helpful!!!

Good news is I got my next statement in the mail...yay!

[Galateia 1]

Question:

I was offered a job today that would start on the 20th. It's pendent on clearing a background check (HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HEE HEE HEE HAW HAW HOO HOO HAW HAW HAW HAW HAAAAA) but obvious that is no cause for concern. They should have the results back before I start and thus will be all bona fide n' employed on the 20th.

When do I tell EI that I got a job? I'm thinking I'll call them on the Friday before I start and let them know then, since it will be the following Monday the job will take effect and the background check should be done by then.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I wouldn't tell EI UNTIL you actually start working. They could phone u on the 19th and say, sorry, we can no longer hire you!!

[Galateia 1]

I wouldn't tell EI UNTIL you actually start working. They could phone u on the 19th and say, sorry, we can no longer hire you!!

So call them on the 21st? I won't start training until the afternoon of the 20th, so I couldn't call until the next morning.

[Flames9_RN 358]

or call them on the 20th, once ur sure the job pans out!! or one can just wait til you get the cards! But probably best to call them and they will inform you on what to do.

[Texanadian 10]

I would just mark it down on the cards. I believe that way, your claim continues on until you run out of weeks. Helps in the event that you get layed off, fired, whatever. So you'd still fill out the cards, but you just wouldn't get anything.

If you're training, you might qualify under the amount in your first week that you're allowed to earn. I think I could earn something like $137/week before EI would start deducting from my cheque.

[Galateia 1]

I would just mark it down on the cards. I believe that way, your claim continues on until you run out of weeks. Helps in the event that you get layed off, fired, whatever. So you'd still fill out the cards, but you just wouldn't get anything.

If you're training, you might qualify under the amount in your first week that you're allowed to earn. I think I could earn something like $137/week before EI would start deducting from my cheque.

I asked the worker handling my case how long I would have the safety net of EI in case I was laid off, etc. She said that provided I have weeks left out of the original 36 (or whatever) weeks I had built up, I have a full year from when I first filed the claim. So say I get laid off in January, I could start up my claim again to cover me from January to May, which is when I applied this year.

I asked if I can collect EI if I make less than $X, and she said yes, if I make less than $75/wk, I can still collect EI. I'll be making a lot more than that, hopefully!

I wonder if 'training' is classified as earning or as training, which was distinct on the cards I believe?

I used a handy online calculator to get an idea of how much my takehome pay would be, and due to the low taxes in TX, I'll be taking home basically the same net as I did in Canada when I made a lot more per hour!

Edited October 11, 2008 by Galateia

[MrsCat 6]

For someone looking for information on EI, I found this useful. I have no idea which employer put this together, but the information is very useful.

http://www.cleo.on.ca/english/pub/onpub/PD...ploy/emplns.pdf