EI – workers and residents outside of Canada – What you need before you start
4. What you need before you start
You will need the following information when you apply for Employment Insurance:
- your social insurance number (SIN)
- your date of birth
- the last name at birth of one of your parents
- your mailing and residential addresses, including the postal codes
- your complete banking information to sign up for direct deposit, including:
- your financial institution name
- your bank branch number
- your account number
- the names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for all your employers for the last 52 weeks
- your detailed version of the facts, if you quit or have been dismissed from any job in the last 52 weeks
- 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
You may also have to provide the following details if you are reactivating an existing claim:
- the salary amount before deductions you received for the last week you worked (from Sunday to your last day of work)
- any other amounts you received or will receive, for example:
- vacation pay
- severance pay
- pension payments
- pay in lieu of notice
- other money
Records of employment (ROEs)
Missing ROEs can delay the processing of your claim.
Electronic ROEs
If your employer submits ROEs electronically to Service Canada, they are not required to print you a copy. However, they may give you one as a courtesy. If this is the case, the serial number of your ROE will start with W or S.
Electronic ROEs are sent directly to Service Canada. You do not need to request copies of your ROEs from your employer, and you do not have to provide copies to Service Canada. You can view copies of your electronic ROEs by visiting My Service Canada Account.
Paper ROEs
If your employer issues ROEs in paper format, you must request copies of all ROEs issued to you during the last 52 weeks and provide them to Service Canada as soon as possible after you submit your EI application. Paper ROEs are generally filled out by hand and have serial numbers that start with A, E, K, L or Z.
You must either mail us the original copies of your paper ROEs or drop them off in person at a Service Canada Centre. The mailing address will be provided to you on the Information and Confirmation page once you submit your online application for EI benefits.
Note: Before applying for EI benefits, you should confirm with your employer whether or not your ROE will be issued electronically to Service Canada.
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