Unlike CPP or the Canada Child Benefit, Employment Insurance has no fixed payment calendar. EI pays you after each report you submit, so your payment dates depend on when you applied and when you file your reports.
What to know about EI payments
Service Canada aims to decide on an EI application within 28 days of filing (it meets that standard 80% of the time). If you're eligible and have provided everything required, the first payment arrives about 28 days after you apply.
After that, you must complete a report every two weeks for as long as you receive benefits. Payments are only issued once a report has been processed, so late reports mean late payments.
After each report, Service Canada tells you when the next one is due. You have 3 weeks from that date to submit it.
Source: Government of Canada, EI regular benefits — after you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Does EI have set payment dates?
No. EI payments are issued after each bi-weekly report is processed, so there is no national payment calendar like the ones for CPP, OAS or the Canada Child Benefit.
How long does the first EI payment take?
About 28 days after you apply, if you are eligible and have provided all the required information.
How often is EI paid?
Every two weeks, after you complete your bi-weekly report.
Other benefit payment dates
- All Canada benefit payment dates
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payment dates
- Old Age Security (OAS) payment dates
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) payment dates
- Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment dates
- Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) payment dates
- Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) payment dates
- Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) payment dates