Service Canada: EI online application
File weekly after approval to receive benefits. Bring Social Insurance Number, Record of Employment, and banking info for direct deposit.
Service Canada: Apply for EI →Stage · Money for a new baby in Canada
Leave: birth, adoption, and application
The administrative cliff. Ten or more government applications run in parallel: EI maternity, EI parental, CCB, RESP opening, provincial health for the baby, employer leave, and more. Most can be started before birth.
What to do this week
- Apply for EI parental benefits as early as the week after birth or adoption. Maternity benefits can start as early as 12 weeks before expected birth date.
- Apply for Canada Child Benefit via CRA MyAccount or Form RC66. Standard processing is 8 weeks; benefits retroactive to month of birth.
- Register birth with your province. Birth registration triggers SIN, provincial health card, and CCB eligibility.
- Open an RESP for the child as soon as you have their SIN. Even $100 contribution before age 1 locks in CESG match for contribution years.
- Update your will. Name a guardian, confirm beneficiaries on RRSP/TFSA/FHSA/life insurance, appoint executor.
- Increase term life insurance coverage on both parents. Industry rule of thumb: 10x income per parent with dependents.
What to avoid
- Waiting to apply for CCB. Payments are retroactive, but processing takes weeks. Apply with your first tax return or via CRA MyAccount as soon as child is born.
- Combining maternity and parental weeks incorrectly on EI. Maternity is the mother's 15 weeks; parental is the shared 40 (standard) or 69 (extended) weeks. Filing the wrong benefit type delays payment.
- Dropping workplace disability coverage. Short-term and long-term disability insurance protect income during complications or post-birth recovery.
- Assuming the baby's SIN will arrive automatically. In some provinces, birth registration triggers SIN issuance; in others, a separate Service Canada application is required.
Calculators for this stage
Forms to file at this stage
CRA: Apply for Canada Child Benefit (RC66)
Fastest via CRA MyAccount. Paper Form RC66 also accepted. Attach proof of birth (birth certificate or registration).
CRA: Apply for CCB →Provincial birth registration
Birth registration is provincial. Ontario's ServiceOntario, BC's VitalStats, Quebec's Directeur de l'état civil. Registration typically generates birth certificate plus paperwork for SIN and health card.
Frequently asked
When should I apply for EI, before or after the baby arrives?
Maternity benefits: apply as early as 12 weeks before due date. Parental benefits: apply after the baby's birth. Apply as soon as possible after the triggering event; processing is typically 2-4 weeks.
Can I go on vacation outside Canada while on EI parental leave?
Yes, but you must still be 'available and capable of caring for your child.' Short trips are generally acceptable; extended absences may raise EI questions. Report any trips longer than a week on your EI reports.
What is a Record of Employment (ROE), and who issues it?
Your employer issues the ROE directly to Service Canada within 5 calendar days of your last day worked. It documents insurable earnings and hours. You do not need to pick it up; Service Canada receives it electronically.
Can EI benefits be taxed back if I return to work early?
EI parental benefits are taxable income. If you return to work and earn above a threshold, benefits for that week may be clawed back (50 cents per dollar of working income above 90% of weekly benefit). Report any work and income accurately on EI reports.
Next stage
First year: cash flow, CCB, RESP start →