Employment Insurance (EI) payments in Canada are usually deposited about 28 days after the EI claim is approved and all required information has been provided. This initial delay is because the application needs to be processed and eligibility confirmed. After the first payment, EI payments are typically made every two weeks (bi-weekly), provided the recipient completes their bi- weekly EI reports timely. If direct deposit is set up, payment usually arrives within a few weekdays after the EI report is completed. For example, if the report is submitted every other Friday, the payment could arrive the following Tuesday. Without direct deposit, payments by cheque can take up to two weeks longer. National or statutory holidays may delay the payment by one day. Late submission of EI reports or changes in banking information can also cause delays or missed payments. In summary:
- First EI payment arrives approximately 28 days after application approval.
- Subsequent payments are bi-weekly, arriving a few days after the bi-weekly report is filed.
- Direct deposit results in faster payments (within 2 business days after processing).
- Cheques take longer, up to two weeks.
- Holidays and report delays may affect payment timing.
This is the general schedule for EI deposits in Canada as of 2024 and 2025.