Travelling on Unemployment

Hi,
I am wondering if any Canadians have the inside knowledge on this particular question.
I'm Canadian and am looking to travel the states and into Tijuana on my Unemployment claim. As a rule of collecting unemployment you must not leave Canada led alone your home province. But I am wondering if it is possible. I've traveled through the states while collecting unemployment once before with no concequence but going into Tijuana worries me.
Does anyone have any information on this particular matter ?!

dude...I'm not normally one to judge someone...but that just ain't right. Especially with the state of the economy the way it is right now.

I think you have probably already answered your own question.

The rules are found on this website: service Canada. Basically, you can leave the country for up to 14 days for a legitimate reason, but otherwise you are supposed to be in Canada looking for a job.

As you have already noted, it could be possible to skirt these rules. However, you would be breaking the rules associated with EI, and if you get caught you could face jail time, and you will be required to pay back any benefits you collected. The government collects a 30% garnish MINIMUM, though it can be anywhere above that, up to 100% (though that seems unlikely, as that would leave nothing for you to live on).

I am not sure on the process for deferring or suspending your benefits for a period of time, but it should be possible. I know that you can somehow stop and then re-active your claim at a later date. This would be the legal thing to do. Talk to a Service Canada branch (assuming you can get an appointment) for details.

Greg

I met a Canadian guy when I was in Greece that was travelling on his EI. He listed his sister's house as his place of residence and when ever someone from the EI office called for him, she called him on his cell and he called them back.

The laws are pretty clear about travelling while on EI. The purpose of receiving unemployment is to help you survive while you look for work. You have to be available every day for job searching and interviews; any days you're not available have to be reported and will subsequently be deducted from your benefits. Plus, since you need your passport to travel, crossing the border may well flag Employment Canada as to your whereabouts.

I worked with someone who was caught on a 3-month trip to Morocco while receiving EI. She claimed she was freelancing and available for any work via email, and fought EI in court. Unless you've got a similar story, I'd look for the legal way to travel.

The rest of us paying taxes to support EI recipients will also be happy to hear it.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have since looked up all the information involving my question. Apparently there are no loopholes that allow someone to travel while on EI and unfortunately I don't have a similar excuse as your friends 'Tway'. I will just have to bite the bullet and do it the old fashioned way

Quoting Atherinton

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have since looked up all the information involving my question. Apparently there are no loopholes that allow someone to travel while on EI and unfortunately I don't have a similar excuse as your friends 'Tway'. I will just have to bite the bullet and do it the old fashioned way

I'd say that would be a wise move.

Now if you were an Aussie in TP asking the same question, your profile URL and thread details would be winging their way to the Australian Employment Department by now.
Down here they are known as dole bludgers, a slang name for welfare fraudsters.
Some people call them parasites on society

Quoting wotthefiqh

Down here they are known as dole bludgers, a slang name for welfare fraudsters.
Some people call them parasites on society

EI is pre-welfare--it's what you receive for a year or so after you've been laid off from your job. You get more money than you would on welfare, to help you get by as you look for work. The idea is that, after a year, you should have been able to find something suitable.

[ Edit: Edited on Dec 30, 2008, at 6:08 AM by tway ]

You can easily leave the country and put your claim in abeyance-I have done this in the past.

I gave them some nonsense story about doing some unpaid charity work but in the end I don't think they cared about where I was going at all just details of how long I would be gone/had to answer a number of formula questions about could I be back in 2 days if a job offer came up-ditto when I restarted my claim-this was all over the phone.

BTW-Tijuana is hole of the grossest variety-a worse place to visit I can't imagine.

Quoting tway

Quoting wotthefiqh

Down here they are known as dole bludgers, a slang name for welfare fraudsters.
Some people call them parasites on society

EI is pre-welfare--it's what you receive for a year or so after you've been laid off from your job. You get more money than you would on welfare, to help you get by as you look for work. The idea is that, after a year, you should have been able to find something suitable.

I always thought welfare of any kind was financial benefit provided by the government (after being taken from the taxpayer), whether it be child benefit, unemployment benefit, disability pension or Canuckistan's EI.
In OZ it is generally provided for the welfare of the unemployed to support their basic needs while they are supposedly trying to find gainful work.
I don't think downing Coronas and chowing down on tacos in a Tijuana bar actually qualifies as a basic need of an unemployed Canuck.
Ergo, lazing south of the Rio Grande on EI (from govmnt website - you can get a maximum payment of $435?? per week) would be nothing more than bludging.
I'm one click away from dobbing in the parasite to the Canuck government.