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Employment Insurance · Federal temporary measures

Temporary EI changes: what applies and when

Canada has temporarily changed some Employment Insurance rules. Three changes apply when the relevant benefit period or claim dates fall by October 10, 2026. A separate rule for eligible seasonal claimants in certain regions continues for benefit periods established through October 7, 2028.

Your benefit period start date, work history, and EI economic region determine which changes may apply. The date you apply is not always the date that counts.

These are temporary changes to regular Employment Insurance rules, not a separate benefit program. This page summarizes published federal guidance for information only; it is not an eligibility test and cannot tell you what Service Canada will decide.

Two different end dates. Compare before you read further

Federal EI has two temporary measure windows with different controlling dates. Do not assume every temporary change ends on the same day.

Major economic conditions (through October 10, 2026)

Who it may affect
EI claimants whose relevant dates fall in this window, including people with separation pay and long-tenured workers who meet official criteria.
Controlling date
Mostly when your EI benefit period starts; for separation pay, when your claim or allocation starts.
Measures included
Waiting-period waiver; separation earnings not deducted; up to 20 extra weeks for long-tenured workers.
What to check next
Find your benefit period start date, then use the measure comparison table below.

Seasonal additional weeks (through October 7, 2028)

Who it may affect
Eligible seasonal claimants in 13 designated EI economic regions who meet official work-history tests, not everyone who lives in those regions.
Controlling date
When your EI benefit period is established.
Measures included
Up to five additional weeks of regular EI for eligible seasonal claimants.
What to check next
Confirm your region and seasonal work history, then review the seasonal section below.

Start with your claim date

Meeting the date range does not guarantee eligibility. Regular EI rules still apply.

Your claim start date is generally the Sunday your EI benefit period begins. It may not be the day you submitted your application.

  1. Find when your EI benefit period started, or for separation pay, when your claim or allocation starts.
  2. Compare the two measure windows above, then the comparison table for individual rules.
  3. Review the additional conditions for any matching measure.
  4. Apply or check your claim through Service Canada for an official decision.

Apply for or check EI regular benefits (canada.ca)

Compare each temporary EI change

Each row is one temporary rule change to regular EI, not a separate program. Match your controlling date to a row, then read the detail section for exceptions.

One-week waiting period waived

Who it may help
People starting a new EI claim, regardless of benefit type, subject to the official rules.
Dates that matter
Benefit period starts March 30, 2025 through October 10, 2026.
What it means
EI may be payable from your first eligible week instead of after the usual unpaid waiting week.
What to check next
Confirm your benefit period start date on My Service Canada Account or your Record of Employment.
Note
If you have a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit plan, you may sometimes choose to serve the waiting period when that is more advantageous. Waiving the waiting period does not automatically increase your total entitlement.

Separation earnings not deducted

Who it may help
People receiving vacation pay, severance, pay instead of notice, closure bonuses, or certain sick-leave credits when leaving a job.
Dates that matter
The claim or allocation of separation earnings must start between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026.
What it means
These payments generally will not delay or reduce EI under the temporary rule.
What to check next
Note when your claim starts and when Service Canada allocates separation pay to weeks of your benefit period.

Extra weeks for long-tenured workers

Who it may help
People who meet the official EI work-history and premium criteria for long-tenured workers.
Dates that matter
Benefit period starts June 15, 2025 through October 10, 2026.
What it means
Eligible workers may receive up to 20 additional weeks of regular EI, to a maximum of 65 weeks.
What to check next
Review official long-tenured criteria on canada.ca; Service Canada adds weeks automatically if you qualify.

Extra weeks for seasonal workers

Who it may help
Eligible seasonal claimants who meet official work-history tests and are ordinarily resident in a designated EI economic region when the benefit period is established. Living in a listed region alone is not enough.
Dates that matter
Benefit period established September 26, 2021 through October 7, 2028.
What it means
Eligible seasonal claimants may receive five additional weeks of regular benefits, up to the applicable maximum (45 weeks under this measure). Separate from the long-tenured-worker measure.
What to check next
Use the region lookup and seasonal eligibility criteria below; living in a listed region alone is not enough.

One-week waiting period waived

What changes

The usual one-week unpaid waiting period before EI benefits begin may be waived for qualifying new claims.

Who may qualify

Applies to new EI claims whose benefit period starts in the window below, for any benefit type covered by the official rules.

Dates that matter

Benefit period start: March 30, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive).

Important exceptions

  • You may still serve the waiting period if a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit plan makes that more advantageous. Waiving the waiting period does not add an extra week to your maximum entitlement.

Official source: Temporary measures for major economic conditions (canada.ca)

Separation earnings not deducted

What changes

Certain payments when you leave a job are normally allocated from the week of separation and can delay or reduce EI. Under the temporary rule, they generally are not deducted when your claim or allocation starts in the window below.

Who may qualify

Includes vacation pay, pay in lieu of notice, severance, closure bonuses, and certain sick-leave credits tied to a separation.

Dates that matter

Claim or allocation start: March 30, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive).

Important exceptions

  • Allocation means Service Canada assigns separation pay to specific weeks of your benefit period. You do not need to know that term to use the table above; check whether your claim or that assignment starts in the date window.

Official source: Temporary measures for major economic conditions (canada.ca)

Extra weeks for long-tenured workers

What changes

Eligible long-tenured workers may receive up to 20 additional weeks of regular benefits (65 weeks maximum total).

Who may qualify

Workers who meet all official long-tenured criteria published on canada.ca. Not every long-term worker qualifies.

Dates that matter

Benefit period start: June 15, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive).

Important exceptions

  • Fewer than 36 weeks of regular or fishing benefits received in the three years before the claim.
  • At least 30% of the annual maximum EI premium paid in at least seven of the previous ten years.
  • At least one week of regular EI benefits received.
  • Service Canada adds the additional weeks automatically when it determines you qualify.

Official source: Temporary measures for major economic conditions (canada.ca)

Extra weeks for seasonal workers

What changes

Eligible seasonal claimants in designated regions may receive five additional weeks of regular benefits, up to the applicable maximum (45 weeks under this measure).

Who may qualify

Seasonal claimants who meet official seasonal-work-history tests and are ordinarily resident in a designated EI economic region when the benefit period is established.

Dates that matter

Benefit period established: September 26, 2021 through October 7, 2028 (inclusive), per enacted legislation.

Important exceptions

  • Ordinarily residing in a designated region when your benefit period is established is only one requirement. Service Canada also looks at your earlier EI benefit periods.
  • In the 260 weeks before your current benefit period begins, you generally need at least three earlier benefit periods in which regular benefits were paid or payable.
  • At least two of those benefit periods generally need to have begun around the same time of year as your current benefit period (within the official eight-week window used for seasonal claims).
  • An alternative route under EI Act subsection 12(2.3)(b) may apply if you previously met the seasonal work-history rules under an earlier federal pilot for a benefit period established between August 5, 2018 and September 25, 2021, and you are still ordinarily resident in a designated region when your current benefit period is established.
  • That alternative route is only available when your current benefit period is established on or before November 6, 2027. From November 7, 2027 onward, subsection 12(2.3)(b) is repealed and only the principal three-period / two-same-season test applies.
  • This measure is separate from the long-tenured-worker additional weeks and from standard week ranges based on regional unemployment rates.

Official source: Seasonal workers additional weeks (Service Canada)

Designated seasonal regions

EI economic regions do not always follow provincial or municipal boundaries. Use Service Canada's official EI economic-region lookup to confirm your region.

Look up your EI economic region by postal code (Service Canada)

A postal-code lookup confirms your EI economic region. It does not decide whether you meet seasonal-claimant eligibility.

Check the 13 designated seasonal regions

Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Newfoundland and Labrador (excluding St. John's)

Prince Edward Island

  • Prince Edward Island (excluding Charlottetown)
  • Charlottetown

Nova Scotia

  • Eastern Nova Scotia
  • Western Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

  • Madawaska–Charlotte
  • Restigouche–Albert

Quebec

  • Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
  • Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore
  • Central Quebec
  • Chicoutimi–Jonquière
  • North Western Quebec

Yukon

  • Yukon (excluding Whitehorse)

Why MyEligible uses October 7, 2028

Some Service Canada seasonal-worker pages still list an October 24, 2026 end date from before the law changed. MyEligible follows the current Employment Insurance Act. Compare the sources below and always confirm your own claim with Service Canada.

Enacted rule
Benefit periods established through October 7, 2028 (Employment Insurance Act, as amended by Bill C-30).
Service Canada table
Some pages still list October 24, 2026 (pre-amendment guidance).
Last checked
August 26, 2026

Official sources

Last reviewed for this tool: 2026-08-26. Amounts may change.

This is not an eligibility test

Last reviewed: August 26, 2026

EI Measures 2026: Waiting Period & Seasonal | MyEligible