The Canuck EI Thread

[Flames9_RN 358]

No, she should be calling!!

[lgg 2]

Hey Rob and Mel!

YES, she should be calling! You have to call these guys are they'll just let your file fall to the wayside and then you have to go through the whole thing again. Get her to call ASAP. I call them once every two weeks at least as like I said, they really aren't great about sending the cards and stuff.

Get her to call, man... the sooner she does the sooner she'll see some cash in her account. You can see your file online but they cannot process out of state claim cards on line, you have to do these in hard copy or over the phone. The only thing you can do online is see your account and when cards are due and stuff like that.

PM me if you need a hand.

Good luck. Get Mel to call.

How long does it take to evaluate a case? Mel applied for EI over 2 months ago and received some paperwork and we sent back the requested info and a copy of her greencard. We still have not heard back anything in over 2 months. I keep telling her to call, but she tells me that it's done all online and we just have to wait. So I guess my question is, is 2 months a typical timeframe for them to decide on someone's claim? Is it all done online, or can you call a number to inquire about your status to get better information?

[ashenflowers 5]

Hurray! My EAD card arrived today! I am ecstatic! Just to verify, I just need to send them a copy of the front of my card, and a copy of my marriage certificate (to show name change, since EI is in my maiden name)... correct? I've already sent them everything else, like the I-94 and visa and what not.

How did you guys send it? Did you email? Or fax? Or snail mail?

[sdw 10]

I faxed mine.

[lgg 2]

I scanned and sent Donna a secured PDF.

she'll allow you to send your documents but is VERY clear about not using her email for anything else.

Congrats, Ashen, seems things are falling into place and that rocks.

Hurray! My EAD card arrived today! I am ecstatic! Just to verify, I just need to send them a copy of the front of my card, and a copy of my marriage certificate (to show name change, since EI is in my maiden name)... correct? I've already sent them everything else, like the I-94 and visa and what not.

How did you guys send it? Did you email? Or fax? Or snail mail?

[ashenflowers 5]

I scanned and sent Donna a secured PDF.

she'll allow you to send your documents but is VERY clear about not using her email for anything else.

Congrats, Ashen, seems things are falling into place and that rocks.

Thanks LGG. Did you just give her the PDF password in the email or something? Sorry for the dumb questions, just trying to figure out the best (and fastest) way to do this. lol

[lgg 2]

I think I told her what the password for the PDFs were over the phone. I'm pretty sure anyway... as sdw said, you can fax the information over too...

Thanks LGG. Did you just give her the PDF password in the email or something? Sorry for the dumb questions, just trying to figure out the best (and fastest) way to do this. lol

[ashenflowers 5]

I think I told her what the password for the PDFs were over the phone. I'm pretty sure anyway... as sdw said, you can fax the information over too...

Thanks I don't like faxing... lol! I'm going to try to call them today... Hopefully I can get through to someone! I'm so nervous for some reason. lol

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Thanks I don't like faxing... lol! I'm going to try to call them today... Hopefully I can get through to someone! I'm so nervous for some reason. lol

Wouldn't faxing be faster in the end...I understand your concern, but you're faxing to a government office....no one there hasn't seen your Social before or couldn't find it out if they wanted to.

[ashenflowers 5]

Wouldn't faxing be faster in the end...I understand your concern, but you're faxing to a government office....no one there hasn't seen your Social before or couldn't find it out if they wanted to.

It's taken care of. Last Monday I called them to verify everything, and emailed them the documents. Everything is fine, and right now I'm in my '2 week waiting period' and hopefully will start getting some payments next month!

I still just really don't like faxing. It wasn't my social I was sending. It was my marriage certificate and my EAD card with all that relevant info (and back in Jan it was my visa and passport). I don't really care that it's a government office. There are still stupid ppl there, lol... and I'd rather have someone have to log in with a password to access the email, rather than anyone just pick up a piece of paper off the floor.

Also, I don't have a fax machine anyways... and I know there are ways to do it online, but then you just subject yourself to more possible interference.

LOL

Anyways.... apparently it's personal preference, but I will never fax anything as important as personal documents and ID cards, no matter who I send them to.

[lilacvioletiris 11]

Well, I have to say I am glad my fiance' had a whole day to deal with EI.

The office manager had been sick last week, so first my fiance' had to go back to his place of employment to get his Record of Employment. Thankfully the office manager was back in the office and she was able to prepare the ROE for him quickly.

He said in the previous times he had applied for EI (some 10 years ago) that a person had sat down with him and that person filled out the "forms" for him, but this time he was pointed to a kiosk to fill out the forms on the computer.

Well, the computer wouldn't take a U.S. address. The EI office person said, "Well, what are you doing applying for EI if you won't be in Canada?" My fiance' then told the EI office person about the fact that a Canadian can claim EI if the Canadian is residing in the states. The EI office person then conceded that yes, EI benefits could be claimed while residing in the U.S. but told my fiance' he would have to call a number to get his address as a U.S. address.

My fiance' went back to his now empty apartment to use his phone which was still in service luckily and spent the next 30 minutes waiting for someone to answer the phone, someone finally did, but said my fiance' would have to wait 5 minutes before they could deal with the issue but it took 10 minutes before the operator finally came back on the line and FINALLY updated my fiance's EI claim to have his U.S. address and phone number. To say the least my fiance' wasn't too impressed. He was just so tired of waiting on hold and didn't want to have to wait on hold again so just kept waiting. My fiance' is hoping that AOS goes quickly (once we get married and send the AOS package off) so that at least his EAD is received quickly. I think we will just have to wait and see. I guess this is one of the drawbacks of using the K-1 route --having to wait for the EAD.

[CQ & CS 2]

Hi VJers, I was trying to look at the old EI thread and logging in with my current user ID but it said my user id cannot be found. Any idea why? may be i'm a new member?

[herestoUS 5]

I've got a question on tax, but the search doesn't allow me to search 3 letter words and I read the first few pages in this thread... My question is, if I have my EI money direct deposited into my Canadian bank account, would I still have to pay the 25% tax because I am living in the USA? I need the money to pay off things in Canada anyhow, so its a PITA transferring it all around and losing money on taxes and exchange rates etc!

[Flames9_RN 358]

the 25% tax is automatically deducted. Customhouse.com is a great free Money change service (now owned by Western Union)

[herestoUS 5]

Thanks for the info Flames9_RN... and yeah I do use Custom House and it really is a great service!