What's changing. Employment Insurance (EI)'s temporary measures were due to end on October 10, 2026. The federal government extended them through regulations that came into force on October 11, 2026, and added a new one. EI is a federal program, so these rules apply everywhere in Canada, Quebec included. The Government of Canada sums them up on its page on EI temporary measures, updated October 6.
Still no waiting week. Normally the first week of unemployment is unpaid: it's the waiting period, a bit like an insurance deductible. It stays waived for all new claims that start between March 30, 2025, and October 9, 2027. So you get paid a week sooner.
Your severance still doesn't delay your benefits. Usually, money you receive when a job ends (vacation pay, pay in lieu of notice, severance pay, closure bonuses, sick leave credits) is spread over the following weeks, which pushes back your benefits. If your claim or that allocation starts between March 30, 2025, and October 9, 2027, these amounts are not deducted from your benefits.
New: only your last separation counts. Until now, if you had quit a job without just cause, or had been dismissed for misconduct during your qualifying period, the hours from that job weren't used to establish your claim. For a claim that starts between October 11, 2026, and October 9, 2027, only the reason for your most recent separation is examined. If you lost that last job through no fault of your own, for example in a layoff, all the insurable hours in your qualifying period count.
Up to 20 more weeks, but only until June 12, 2027. Long-tenured workers can receive 20 additional weeks of regular benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks, if their claim starts between June 15, 2025, and June 12, 2027, and they have already received at least one week of regular benefits. To be "long-tenured," you must have received fewer than 36 weeks of regular or fishing benefits in the three years before your claim, and have paid at least 30% of the maximum annual EI premiums in at least 7 of the previous 10 years. If you qualify, the weeks are added automatically.
Good to know for newcomers. The 7-out-of-10-years contribution test rules out of the 20 extra weeks anyone who has paid EI premiums for fewer than 7 years. The other three measures, though, apply to anyone eligible for EI, however long they've worked in Canada. The advice hasn't changed: apply as soon as you stop working. For the basic conditions (insurable hours, record of employment), see our guide to Employment Insurance.
