The Canuck EI Thread

[daphoknee 4]

Hi everyone,
I'm planning on finally POE on Sept 4 since my approval in June. My last day at my employment is was last friday, when should I apply for EI? I got my ROE from my employer on friday and we are still waiting for my husband's to come in. (My husband's been living here in Canada for the last two years and is also eligible for EI)

[YpsiFella 20]

Once you are in the USA you have to call in to do the reports and it takes 2 days to get paid. (IE you call friday, you get paid tuesday... You call Monday, you get paid Thursday) It's by direct deposit into a Canadian account. I set up an RBC Canada account and an RBC USA account while in Canada so that I could transfer the money across the border.

How are you getting the money out of the RBC account? I used it to pay bills with NVC and it was great but when I tried to use the bank machine to get money I couldn't get access to anything. I have a lot of money (to me) to transfer down but I don't want to have difficulty getting access to it to buy a hiouse when I get there. There is no bricks and mortar RBC in the area I am going to for sure.

[NikLR 13,227]

I use the US RBC Visa check card I was sent. I never have problem paying by debit or credit in the USA. It won't work properly in Canada unless you use it as a credit card but in the USA it's a debit or credit.

If you're transferring a lot of money down make sure you're checking the rates because they fluctuate quite a bit. Sometimes when I transfer my EI payment down I lose $25 and sometimes it's closer to $40 depending on the rate that day. I try to wait until I won't be losing as much.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Another option is customhouse.com-----but since it has been taken over by Western Union, the rates tend not to be as great as they once were---but if one is tx'ing over large sums of $$$$ its worth ur time to check them out and compare the exchange rates. Just because a bank does not charge you NO fees---does not make it a great deal, they may be giving u a sub par exchange rate.

[NikLR 13,227]

I think that's what happens with RBC. There is no fee to send it down, but the exchange rate sucks.

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

How are you getting the money out of the RBC account? I used it to pay bills with NVC and it was great but when I tried to use the bank machine to get money I couldn't get access to anything. I have a lot of money (to me) to transfer down but I don't want to have difficulty getting access to it to buy a hiouse when I get there. There is no bricks and mortar RBC in the area I am going to for sure.

There are no brick and mortar RBC USA banks anymore. You can use PNC bank machines though with your RBC USA debit/visa card to get cash out.

[sweety-sweet 1]

My interview will be Oct 1, 2013. But our company fiscal year end is Sep 30. I am going to Montreal on Sep 30 and take 2 days off from work. I thought of submitting my resignation when I received my passport with visa.

But for some reasons, I thought like if I resign on Sep 27 as my last day and claim EI after I received my passport with visa?

Will I be eligible to do that?

[NikLR 13,227]

Yes you can do that. I did. I claimed EI before I left Canada because I wanted to go to a Service Canada centre and just apply there. You can do it at home as well.

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

Question:

I am receiving EI now, and am also pregnant. Would I also qualify to apply for maternity benefits 8 weeks before my due date as my last day of employment was in March 2013?

[daphoknee 4]

Is anyone having problems getting Service Canada to call you back? I left a message yesterday and never received a call so I called again today asking for a call back and still nothing.

[NikLR 13,227]

They normally would call back next day or monday (if I called too late on friday.) Sorry you're having trouble!

[daphoknee 4]

They normally would call back next day or monday (if I called too late on friday.) Sorry you're having trouble!

Oh man..They called me at 7:50AM EST on Wednesday! Who calls that early? So I called back twice and left messages to call in my report. He calls me back and tells me that my reports are due Friday and to call back then....why can't I just do my report with him on the Wednesday?! Makes no sense.

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

Oh man..They called me at 7:50AM EST on Wednesday! Who calls that early? So I called back twice and left messages to call in my report. He calls me back and tells me that my reports are due Friday and to call back then....why can't I just do my report with him on the Wednesday?! Makes no sense.

I call every two weeks on Friday. They can't process your report any earlier and your report is for a specific period of time. When I call I ask for someone to call me back as soon as possible and sometimes I'll say "I need someone to call me before 2pm as I have an appointment" or something like that. They don't seem to be as diligent until you actually are really "ready and able" to look for work, so I wouldn't sweat it if your report is a little late in the meantime.

[NikLR 13,227]

You can do it on the friday it's due or the week afterward but no earlier.

[Amanda and Evan 0]

I'm having a nervous breakdown here. I screwed up. I forgot to have my husband file for unemployment when he moved here May 27th. We are expecting his EAD card to be delivered any day now, so he emailed his former boss about being ready to get his old job back. (He worked from home) The former boss said that they don't have any open positions, but he is welcome to apply. Then suddenly, the light went on about applying for EI! I can't believe I forgot about it all this time.

He left a message for EI to call him back, and he's going to fill out the online application in the meantime. I've been trying to read this thread, but so much of it is years old, I don't know how much I can believe anymore.

We've been dealing with my sister's illness too, which has taken up all of our time. My 27-year-old sister has been battling leukemia since last October. She had a bone marrow transplant that didn't work. She just started hospice care this week and isn't expected to live much longer. Her son's birthday is in November, but we're having his party this weekend so that she can be there. I really cannot take one more thing. I'm the sole breadwinner, obviously, plus I've been handling 98% of the immigration stuff and dealing with my sister's stuff too. I'm sorry, I guess I don't have any questions. I just needed to vent to somebody.