Self-employed workers
Self-employed Canadians are not covered by EI by default. Unlike employees, whose premiums are deducted automatically, a self-employed person must voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) — and that agreement covers special benefits only: maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits. There is no EI regular benefit for a business slowdown, a lost client, or a closed shop. If you are self-employed and your income falls because business is slow, EI will not replace it.
The agreement has a long fuse, which is why planning matters: it must have been active for at least 12 months before you can receive any benefit, and you must have earned at least the annual minimum in net self-employed earnings in the calendar year before your claim. For claims in 2026, that minimum is based on 2025 earnings: $9,254 in net self-employed earnings between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Once you have made a claim, you generally cannot withdraw from the program — you keep paying premiums on self-employed earnings for as long as you remain self-employed.
- Self-employed EI covers special benefits ONLY — never regular benefits for a business downturn.
- You must have a CEIC agreement active for at least 12 months before claiming.
- Minimum earnings: $9,254 in net self-employed earnings in calendar year 2025 (for claims in 2026).
- You must have reduced the time spent on your business by more than 40% for at least one week, and be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- Quebec residents: maternity and parental benefits come from QPIP, not federal EI — but you can still opt into federal EI for the other special benefits.
How to opt in, and what it costs
Enter into the agreement online through My Service Canada Account: find the Employment Insurance section, select "View my agreement status (self-employed)," and follow the steps. You will receive a letter confirming the agreement. From then on, you pay EI premiums through your annual tax return, at the employee rate, on your net self-employed earnings up to the annual maximum insurable earnings — for 2025, $1.64 per $100 up to $1,077.48. There is no employer share for the self-employed, and no premium reduction program applies to your own premiums the way it can for an employer's plan.
Think carefully before opting in, because the commitment is effectively permanent once you claim: after a claim, you cannot terminate the agreement, and premiums continue for the rest of your self-employed career. For many business owners the arithmetic is still favourable — a single parental claim can pay many years of premiums — but for others, especially those with volatile income who may never meet the minimum in a given year, private disability or critical-illness insurance may be a better fit. Compare both before signing.
Qualifying: the four conditions
| Condition | What it means |
|---|---|
| Agreement | CEIC agreement active for at least 12 months, not terminated |
| Minimum earnings | At least $9,254 net self-employed earnings in the prior calendar year (2025 figure) |
| Interruption of earnings | Time spent on the business reduced by more than 40% for at least one week |
| Status and benefit condition | Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and meeting the conditions of the specific benefit |
The qualifying period for a self-employed claimant is the entire calendar year before the year the claim starts — not the last 52 weeks, as for employees. So a claim that starts in March 2026 looks at calendar year 2025 earnings. Your benefit rate is 55% of your average weekly net self-employed earnings (33% for extended parental), up to the same annual maximum, and the same 1-week waiting period applies. If you also have T4 employment, the two sources can combine: your employer's premiums give you insurable hours, and your self-employed earnings can add to your benefit rate, up to the maximum.
Quebec: QPIP instead of federal EI for maternity and parental
Quebec residents receive maternity, paternity, parental, and adoption benefits under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), which has its own premiums, rates, and week limits — and which is generally more generous than federal EI for parental benefits (including a dedicated paternity benefit). A self-employed Quebec resident can still opt into federal EI, but only for the benefits QPIP does not cover: sickness, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits. If you live in Quebec and are expecting a child or adopting, apply to QPIP, not to federal EI, for the birth-related benefits — and check QPIP's own tables, which this site does not reproduce.
Sources to check: Service Canada, EI special benefits for self-employed people — eligibility (minimum $9,254 for 2025, 12-month agreement); Employment Insurance Act, s. 152.07; QPIP (Quebec Parental Insurance Plan) official pages.