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The short answer
Yes. Employment Insurance regular benefits depend on your work history and circumstances, not your citizenship: you must have lost insurable employment through no fault of your own, have 420 to 700 insured hours in the last 52 weeks depending on your region, and be ready, willing and able to work and actively looking. Service Canada says that if your SIN begins with 9 you must supply proof of your immigration status and work permit when you apply (Canada.ca, October 2026).
The rules that apply to everyone
Service Canada's eligibility list for regular benefits contains no citizenship condition. It says you must:
- have been employed in insurable employment;
- have lost your job through no fault of your own;
- have been without work and without pay for at least seven consecutive days in the last 52 weeks;
- have worked the required number of insurable hours in the last 52 weeks, which is between 420 and 700 depending on the unemployment rate in your region;
- be ready, willing and capable of working each day;
- be actively looking for work and keep a written record of the employers you contact.
The page does not single out work permit holders. If you meet these conditions, you can apply. Temporary measures sometimes change access; Service Canada links to them from the same page.
What is different with a work permit
Your SIN and your permit
Temporary residents receive a SIN starting with 9, linked to the expiry of their immigration document. When you apply, Service Canada says that if your SIN begins with 9 you need to supply proof of your immigration status and work permit. If your SIN has expired because your permit expired, that needs fixing first; see what a SIN starting with 9 means.
Availability
Being "ready, willing and capable of working each day" is assessed on your circumstances. For a work permit holder, what your permit allows is part of that picture. An open permit lets you work for most employers; an employer-specific permit names one employer. Service Canada's eligibility page does not say how it treats each kind, so expect questions about what work you are legally able to accept, and answer them accurately. If your permit is close to expiry, keep your IRCC extension paperwork to hand.
Leaving Canada
If your job ends and you are thinking of returning to Nigeria for a while, remember the daily availability test. Tell Service Canada before you travel and ask how the trip affects your claim rather than assume.
If your permit is about to expire
Service Canada says a temporary SIN starting with 9 must be extended when it expires. If you applied to extend your permit and your status is maintained while IRCC processes it, you may keep working; once IRCC authorises you, you apply to Service Canada with your new immigration document, and the expiry dates on your SIN record and immigration document must match. Keep that record current during a claim, because the SIN is the first thing your EI application checks.
How to apply
- Apply quickly. Service Canada says that if you apply more than four weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits.
- Have the details ready: your SIN; proof of immigration status and work permit if your SIN begins with 9; a parent's last name at birth; your mailing and home addresses; your bank details for direct deposit; and employer names, addresses, dates and reasons for leaving for all jobs in the past 52 weeks.
- Records of Employment. Service Canada needs an ROE from each employer to decide eligibility. Ask each employer to issue one.
- Expect a waiting week. A one-week unpaid waiting period applies to a new claim before payments start.
- Report as required while you claim, including any work and earnings.
Why claims stall
- A SIN record that has expired with an old permit.
- A missing Record of Employment from one of the jobs in the past 52 weeks.
- Applying after the four-week window.
- Gaps in the written record of employers you contacted while searching.
Other EI benefits
Regular benefits are for job loss. EI also has caregiving benefits, including compassionate care, which can apply when a family member is gravely ill, including outside Canada; see EI compassionate care for a parent in Nigeria. If EI is not available or not enough, provincial support has its own rules; in Ontario, read who can get Ontario Works as a newcomer.
What to check first
- Did you lose the job through no fault of your own?
- How many insurable hours did you work in the last 52 weeks, and what does your region require?
- Is your work permit, and the SIN linked to it, still valid?
- Are you within four weeks of your last day of work?
- Can you show you are available and actively job hunting?
Questions people ask
Can temporary foreign workers get EI in Canada?
Yes, if they meet the same eligibility conditions as other workers, including insurable hours, job loss through no fault and availability.
What do I need to apply for EI if my SIN starts with 9?
Service Canada says you must supply proof of your immigration status and work permit, along with the usual employment and banking details.
How many hours do I need for EI?
Between 420 and 700 insurable hours in the last 52 weeks, depending on the unemployment rate in your region.
How soon must I apply for EI after losing my job?
Apply within four weeks of your last day of work, or you may lose benefits, according to Service Canada.
Sources
- Canada.ca: EI regular benefits, eligibility (modified 15 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Canada.ca: EI regular benefits, apply (modified 19 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Service Canada: Apply for a social insurance number (modified 15 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.