Employment Insurance (EI) Pilot Project for New Entrants and Re-Entrants

If you are in the work force for the 1^st time or if you are re-entering the work force after an absence of 2 years or more, this pilot project could be for you...

What you should know
Economic regions included in pilot project
How to take advantage of the pilot project
Workers and/or Residents outside Canada

What you should know

Under current Employment Insurance (EI) rules, if you are in the work force for the 1^st time or if you are re-entering the work force after an absence of 2 years or more, 910 hours of work are required in your qualifying period to qualify for EI regular benefits.

Special measures have been taken to make sure workers living in participating economic regions have a greater access to EI benefits. A 3-year pilot project allows you to qualify for regular benefits with a minimum of 840 hours instead of 910 hours.

This pilot project began December 11, 2005 and will run until December 6, 2008. It will test the labour market impacts by inviting individuals who meet the conditions to contact either an employment assistance services provider or a provincial/territorial local employment center for assistance in developing a plan to address their employment needs and help them in returning to work. This help could include information about the labour market and services such as counseling, career decision making and possible referral to an employment benefit such as training.

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Economic regions included in pilot project

The pilot project is being tested in 23 EI economic regions. Select the region where you live to see if your municipality is included.

**Economic Regions**
Regions	Regions	Regions
Central Quebec	Northern British Columbia	Restigouche—Albert
Chicoutimi—Jonquière	Northern Manitoba	St. John’s
Eastern Nova Scotia	Northern Ontario	Southern Coastal British Columbia —excluding Greater Vancouver
Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine	Northern Saskatchewan	Sudbury
Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore	Northwest Territories	Trois-Rivières
Madawaska—Charlotte	North Western Quebec	Western Nova Scotia
Newfoundland and Labrador	Nunavut	Yukon
Northern Alberta	Prince Edward Island

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How to take advantage of the pilot project

You can benefit from the pilot project if you meet the following conditions. See example 1:

you are filing a claim and are eligible to receive regular benefits;
you live in one of the participating EI economic regions;
your claim for benefits starts between December 11, 2005 and December 6, 2008;
you have accumulated between 840 and 909 insurable hours in your qualifying period.

Note: This pilot project does not apply to fishing benefits. There is no change in the conditions to receive maternity, parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits.

If a notice of violation was issued in your name...

If you have been paid EI benefits in the past and you received a warning letter or a penalty was imposed, for making a false statement, the required number of hours worked to claim regular benefits will be higher:

A minor violation increases the required number of hours to 1,050,
A serious violation increases the required number of hours to 1,260,
A very serious violation increases the required number of hours to 1,294,
A subsequent violation increases the required number of hours as per the highest violation within the 260 weeks prior to the beginning of your benefit period. See example 2.

Example 1

You are re-entering the work force after an absence of 2 years. You stop working after having worked 840 insurable hours in your qualifying period. You reside in one of the participating region and you file for regular benefits. Your claim for benefits starts on December 11, 2005.

Before the pilot project, you needed 910 insurable hours to qualify for regular benefits. Under the pilot project, as you meet all the conditions, you could receive regular benefits with 840 hours. To increase your chances to find a suitable employment, you will be invited to participate in employment measures.

Example 2

Your claim for benefits starts on December 11, 2005. In the 260 weeks prior the start of your claim you accumulated 2 violations. One was classified as minor violation and the other one was classified as serious. Regardless of the order in which the violations occured, under the pilot project, you will need 1260 insurable hours to qualify for regular benefits. In other words, the number of hours required based on the serious violation.

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Workers and/or Residents outside Canada

If you are residing in the United States and worked in Canada or if you crossed the Canada/United States border between your residence and workplace, the economic region used is the one of your last Canadian insurable employment. If that region is a participating region and you meet all the conditions, you could participate in the pilot project that allows you to qualify for regular benefits with a minimum of 840 hours instead of 910 hours.

For more information on Employment Insurance and Workers and/or Residents outside Canada...