Can I be outside of Canada when EI is starting

[Cisko99]

I am a permanent resident in Canada and have worked there for the past 3 years. I was let go of my full time job a couple of months ago and was offered severance in the form of bi-weekly pay till now. The last severance payment is next week. I had to come to my home country last month to tend to some family commitments. I had to come back today (5th of March) to continue my job search, unfortunately due to the war in the middle east my flight got cancelled and I was not able to find any reasonable tickets before my severance expires. I will only be coming back on the 19th of this month.

I had already applied for EI when I lost my job but my application decision was not made since I am technically still employed and my previous employer hasn't submitted my record of employment. I know that I am not eligible for EI when I am out of the country and I am not looking to get EI for the one week.

My question is, should I be in Canada when I become eligible for EI ? Would I still be able to get EI once I come back or me being out of the country at the start void my EI claim?

 

[Buletruck]

I am a permanent resident in Canada and have worked there for the past 3 years. I was let go of my full time job a couple of months ago and was offered severance in the form of bi-weekly pay till now. The last severance payment is next week. I had to come to my home country last month to tend to some family commitments. I had to come back today (5th of March) to continue my job search, unfortunately due to the war in the middle east my flight got cancelled and I was not able to find any reasonable tickets before my severance expires. I will only be coming back on the 19th of this month.

I had already applied for EI when I lost my job but my application decision was not made since I am technically still employed and my previous employer hasn't submitted my record of employment. I know that I am not eligible for EI when I am out of the country and I am not looking to get EI for the one week.

My question is, should I be in Canada when I become eligible for EI ? Would I still be able to get EI once I come back or me being out of the country at the start void my EI claim?

You should still be eligible once you return. Once you start reporting, it will ask if you were out of the country. They'll deduct those weeks you report you were unavailable for work. Make sure once you are eligible, you complete the reports (whether you are in Canada or not) in a timely manner. Missing the reporting window can have a bigger effect than reporting you were out of the country (I.e. loss of benefits).

 

[vikaskhanna2211]

EI Eligibility and Overseas Travel – Guidance​

You should not face any major issues with your EI claim due to being outside Canada at the time your eligibility begins. Under Canadian Labour Legislation, being outside the country does not void your claim, but it does make you ineligible for payments during that specific period.

Key Considerations for Your Return:

• Non-Payment Period: You are generally not entitled to receive benefits for any day you are outside Canada. Service Canada will simply deduct the days you were away from your weekly benefit amount.
• Reporting is Mandatory: Even if you know you won’t be paid for next week, you must still complete your EI reports on time. When the report asks if you were outside Canada, answer "Yes."
• Status of Claim: Once you return on the 19th and mark yourself as "Ready and Available for Work" in your next report, your payments should resume normally, provided all other conditions are met.

The key to a smooth transition back to benefits is accurate disclosure of your travel dates to avoid any "misrepresentation" flags on your file. For expert guidance on employment compliance and cross-border regulatory matters, you can always rely on Setindiabiz.