EI fishing benefits
Overview
Les prestations de pêcheur de l’assurance-emploi soutiennent les travailleurs indépendants admissibles qui pratiquent la pêche et cherchent activement un emploi au Canada. Elles peuvent aussi inclure des prestations régulières, de maladie, de maternité, parentales, de compassion ou pour proches aidants.
At a glance
Funding available
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Varies by project
Eligible candidates
- All industries
- Canada
- Sole proprietorship
- All revenue ranges
- All organization sizes
- Canadians
Next Steps
Activities funded
- Fishing benefits for self-employed fishers who are actively seeking work.
- Regular EI benefits for fishers.
- Sickness, maternity, parental, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits.
Documents Needed
- Social Insurance Number
- Date of birth
- Banking information
- Names and addresses of buyers and employers
- Records of Employment, if paper ROEs were issued
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Self-employed fishers
Who is not eligible
This benefit is specifically tailored for self-employed fishers actively seeking work, thus narrowing eligibility by the nature of employment. Companies or industries outside this sector do not qualify for these benefits.
- Businesses not involved in self-employed fishing activities.
- Industries unrelated to fishing seeking regular employment insurance benefits.
Eligible expenses
The Employment Insurance (EI) fishing benefits aim to support self-employed fishers who are actively seeking work while also being eligible for various special benefits. The activities eligible for this grant revolve primarily around fishing-related earnings and caregiving responsibilities.
- Seeking work actively as a self-employed fisher.
- Self-employed fishing activities that meet the earnings criteria during the qualifying period.
- Caregiving activities for family members with serious medical conditions under compassionate care benefits.
- Providing care for a critically ill child or adult family member under family caregiver benefits.
- Taking maternity or parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child.
- Temporarily stopping fishing activities due to medical reasons and claiming sickness benefits.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
Evaluation and selection criteria for the EI fishing benefits grant: - Qualifying as a self-employed fisher actively seeking work - Eligibility based on earnings, not insurable hours of employment - Ability to receive regular fishing benefits as well as other related benefits such as sickness, maternity, parental, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits
How to apply
- Apply online for EI fishing benefits.
Processing and Agreement
- You will receive your first payment about 28 days after you apply if you are eligible and have provided all required information.
- There is a 1-week waiting period before benefits are paid.
- You will be informed of the decision if you are not eligible.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for the EI fishing benefits:
- The qualifying period can be impacted if an application was previously approved within the last 31 weeks.
- The family supplement is available and can increase the benefit rate up to 80% of average insurable earnings for low income families.
- Benefits from this program are taxable and federal as well as provincial or territorial taxes will be deducted from payments.
- The maximum duration for receiving fishing benefits is 26 weeks within a 37-38 week benefit period, but this can extend up to 52 weeks if claiming special benefits such as sickness benefits.
- Application must be done no later than four weeks after the last day of work, the end date of the fishing trip, or the date of selling the catch to a buyer.
- The application process online takes approximately one hour, and information is saved for only 72 hours if not completed.
- Employers are required to issue records of employment (ROEs) for past and recent jobs, viewable on My Service Canada Account, to aid in determining eligibility and the amount of benefits.