The details still need to be sorted out, but I've been researching on the Human Resources Canada website, and I found out that I can reactivate my old employment insurance claim, from before I found the job and it seems like a relatively straightforward process. I can't actually apply until March 4 when my record of employment will be sent electronically to Human Resources Canada. And I found my original letter approving my claim from last summer, and it turns out that I was eligible to collect for 58 weeks, which means I should now, if my calculations are correct be able to collect for about 6.5 months if I need to. And the good news is, if you're reactivating a claim, they don't apply the normal 2 week waiting period before they start paying you.

I won't completely relax about it, until I've filed the claim and get confirmation of eligibility and duration back, but at least it looks good. And I have enough money, plus I'll get one more paycheck on March 4, which should cover me until the EI claim gets approved.

--splitimage