Starting your Appeal

Learn how to start your appeal and what information you need to provide. This section explains the initial steps, including how to submit your Notice of Appeal and any required supporting documents.

Notice of Appeal Form

To file your appeal, you must complete the Notice of Appeal form. This is the official form used to start your appeal with the Employment Insurance Board of Appeal (EI BOA).

If you have received more than one reconsideration decision, clearly indicate which specific decision you wish to appeal. For each decision:

  • provide the date, and record ID number of the reconsideration decision you are appealing
  • explain why you disagree with the decision and provide details.

You may include documents and written statements with your Notice of Appeal to support your appeal. If you need to submit additional documents or evidence after filing your appeal, you must send them directly to the EI BOA either electronically or by mail.

Before submitting your Notice of Appeal form, check that all required sections are completed, signed, and dated. Submit your Notice of Appeal, along with any supporting documents, to the EI BOA Employment Insurance Board of Appeal.

Apply online

You can apply online by selecting the button below.

Notice of Appeal

Apply using the PDF form

You can also complete the Notice of Appeal PDF form, and:

  • Mail it to the EI BOA; or
  • Submit it in person at a Service Canada Office

If additional supporting documents or written statements need to be submitted after filing your appeal, you may submit them electronically via Canada Post Connect or by mail to the EI BOA. See the next section on Supporting Documents for more details.

Supporting Documents

To help the EI Board of Appeal panel members prepare for your hearing, it is important to send your supporting documents as early as possible. This allows time for the documents to be reviewed in advance. All documents received will be shared with the other parties involved in your appeal.

If you have already submitted your Notice of Appeal, or if you are a party to the appeal and wish to submit additional documents, you must send them directly to the EI Board of Appeal.

Documents may be submitted:

  • Electronically via Canada Post Connect
  • By mail to the EI BOA

To use Access Canada Post Connect, you must provide your email address so that a secure electronic communication channel can be established with the EI BOA.

To provide your email address and set up this secure electronic communication channel through Canada Post Connect, complete the online form.

Contact me about the appeal

Once you complete the form, the Board will open a secure conversation with you via Canada Post Connect, where you can upload your documents safely.

Remember to include:

  • your Social Insurance Number (SIN), (or your Canada Revenue Agency Business Number if you are an employer)
  • the EI Board of Appeal file number (if available), or the record ID number from the Service Canada reconsideration decision you wish to appeal

Supporting documents may include:

  • pay stub(s)
  • record(s) of employment
  • collective agreement(s) or employment contract(s)
  • medical or specialist’s certificate(s) or report(s)
  • bank statement(s)
  • job search record(s)
  • settlement agreement(s)
  • proof of residence

Note: Supporting documents cannot be submitted in person at a Service Canada office, unless they are submitted with your initial Notice of Appeal form. In all other cases, the Service Canada Office will not accept additional documents related to your appeal. If you wish to submit any further documents, they must be sent directly to the EI BOA either electronically or by mail.

If you are unable to submit your documents before the hearing, you may still bring them with you. You will have the opportunity to present them to the panel and the other parties involved in your appeal. The panel will then decide whether to accept the documents and take them into consideration.

Documents submitted after the hearing will not be considered by the EI BOA unless the panel specifically requests or permits their late submission, and the documents are provided within the deadline set by the panel.

Language of Documents

All documents submitted to the EI BOA must be in English or French. If your documents are in another language, you will need to have them translated at your own expense. The accuracy of the translation may be verified. Documents already in English or French do not require a translation.

When sending a translated document, you must also include: 

  • the translator’s contact information:
    •  name 
    •  address  
    •  telephone number or email address 
  • a declaration from the translator confirming the translation is accurate 
  • both the original document and the translated version 

Language of Hearings

The preferred official language selected (English or French) on the appellant’s Notice of Appeal form will be used for the hearing and maintained throughout the process. Other parties involved in the appeal may also participate in the official language of their choice.

Format of Hearings

When completing the Notice of Appeal form, the appellant must select their preferred hearing format. The available hearing formats are:

  • Telephone/ Teleconference: These are proceedings where all parties connect through either a personal device such as a smartphone or landline.
  • Videoconference: These are proceedings where all parties connect through a video-enabled personal device (e.g., a computer, tablet, smartphone). This option requires a high-speed internet connection.
  • In-Person: These hearings take place at a Service Canada office closest to the appellant’s residence. If you choose an in-person hearing and plan to bring additional attendees, you must inform the Registry Officer in advance to ensure sufficient space. Other parties may also attend in person or participate via videoconference or teleconference.

Regardless of the format, you will have an equal opportunity to speak and ask questions.

If a hearing format is not indicated, a videoconference will be scheduled automatically. All parties will still be able to participate by videoconference or teleconference.

Interpretation during a hearing

The official languages for all communications with the EI BOA throughout the appeal process are English or French. If you have difficulty communicating in one of these languages, you may:

  • bring someone with you to assist with the translation; or
  • request a professional interpreter to be provided for your hearing,

Interpreters can assist with:

  • spoken language interpretation; and
  • sign language interpretation.

To ensure accurate interpretation, please specify your language and dialect. If you need an interpreter, contact the Registry Officer assigned to your file at least five days before your hearing. Bringing your own interpreter is permitted, with any related costs being your responsibility.

Single Notice of Appeal and Joining Appeals

While most appeals are submitted and processed individually, there are two ways to group related appeals together to streamline the process.

  • Single notice of appeal
  • Joining appeals

Single Notice of Appeal

A single notice of appeal refers to a situation where one appeal is submitted on behalf of a group of appellants, each of whom has received their own reconsideration decision for the same issue under appeal. Only one appeal is officially processed and heard, resulting in a single decision that applies to everyone in the group.

When a representative files a single notice of appeal on behalf of a group of appellants, the notice must include:

  • the reconsideration decision that is the subject of the appeal
  • the identity of the representative of the group of appellants
  • a document containing:
    • each appellant’s information (full name, Social Insurance Number, and the identification number of their reconsideration decision)
    • each appellant’s signed consent to be included in the group

The Registry Officer communicates only with the group representative, who is responsible for sharing information with the group members. However, the final decision is sent to each appellant in the group.

Should someone wish to withdraw from the group, they must send a written request to the Registry Officer before the hearing. Upon receipt, that individual will be removed from the group and the appeal will proceed for the remaining appellants.

Joining Appeals

Joining appeals are an administrative measure used to simplify the processing of multiple appeals that share a common issue or context, or when a single individual has submitted several appeals.

Joining appeals are processed similarly to individual appeals. When appropriate, they may benefit from being scheduled on the same day and/or heard by the same panel of members. This helps ensure consistency and efficiency while respecting the unique circumstances of each case.

In some situations, a shared context may be presented at the beginning of the hearing. Each appellant will then present their individual case and receive a separate decision based on the specific facts of their case.

Several appeals related to different reconsideration decisions, filed by the same appellant, may be heard together to save them from attending multiple hearings. However, if another party is involved in one of the appeals, then a separate hearing may be required for each issue.

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