unpopular opinion: the ny unemployment website crashes are intentional to reduce the number of people who can successfully claim benefits. they know exactly what they're doing 👀

I feel your pain! I went through this exact nightmare 2 months ago. After days of website crashes and busy signals, I finally got through using a combination of things: 1) Called the automated certification line at 1-888-581-5812 around 6am (way less busy), 2) Used Firefox browser in incognito mode for the website attempts, and 3) When I absolutely needed to speak to someone about a complex issue, I used Claimyr - skeptical at first but they actually connected me to a live DOL agent in under an hour. The whole system is broken but don't give up! Document everything in case they try to claim you missed deadlines due to their technical failures. You've got this! 💪

Just make sure you meet the wage requirements too. You need to have earned enough in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. Since you worked for 2 years you should be fine, but double check your earnings on the NYS Department of Labor website.

I went through this exact situation on my H1B about 6 months ago. Yes, you're absolutely eligible! The process was pretty straightforward - I just needed to upload my I-797 approval notice and EAD card like you mentioned. One thing to note is that you'll need to be actively searching for work and available to accept suitable employment, which shouldn't be an issue since you're authorized to work. Also, make sure to file your claim as soon as possible since there's usually a one-week waiting period before benefits start. The weekly benefit amount is based on your previous earnings, so with 2 years of tech salary you should get a decent amount. Don't let the stress get to you - you've been paying into the system and you deserve these benefits!

The system is designed so that employers who lay off more workers pay higher rates - it's supposed to incentivize job stability. But honestly, the whole NYS Department of Labor system feels broken when you're actually trying to use it. At least knowing you're not personally funding it makes the bureaucracy slightly less frustrating.

Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I had no idea it was entirely employer-funded through their unemployment taxes. I was actually worried I hadn't been paying enough into the system somehow. It's good to know that when I file my claim with NYS Department of Labor, I'm accessing benefits that my previous employers have already paid for through their tax contributions. Makes the whole process feel more legitimate and less like I'm asking for a handout.

Just respond honestly and quickly to whatever they send you. The worst thing you can do is ignore it or miss deadlines. I've seen people lose benefits just because they didn't respond to fact finding requests on time, even when they had valid claims.

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago - got the fact finding notice after being on benefits for about 2 months. Turned out my former employer had finally submitted their response to NYS Department of Labor (they're supposed to do it within 10 days but many take their sweet time). The fact finding interview was actually pretty straightforward - they just wanted to confirm the details of my layoff and make sure my employer's version matched mine. The whole process took about 2-3 weeks, and my benefits continued during the investigation. Just make sure you respond to any requests promptly and keep all your documentation handy. You've got this!

Just want to add that I went through this withdrawal process about 2 months ago and it was honestly one of the most stressful experiences! The not knowing and waiting for payments was rough. Mine took exactly 21 days from withdrawal to new determination. A few things I wish I had known: - They sometimes send requests for additional info through regular mail (not just email), so check your mailbox daily - If you have a lawyer or someone who helped with your original claim, give them a heads up about the withdrawal - they might have insights - The online portal sometimes shows weird statuses during this time, don't panic if it says confusing things Also echoing what others said about claimyr - totally worth the $20 if you need to actually speak with someone. The regular phone lines are basically impossible to get through on your own. Stay strong everyone dealing with this! The system is definitely not user-friendly but most of these withdrawals do get resolved in the claimant's favor from what I've seen. Just document everything and respond quickly to any requests they send. 🤞

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the detailed responses - this thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! 🙏 I'm feeling a lot less panicked now knowing that this withdrawal process is actually pretty common and that most people here got favorable outcomes with backpay. The 30-day timeline rule @Madeline Blaze mentioned is especially comforting to know there's actually a deadline they have to meet. I've started implementing everyone's advice: - Continuing to certify weekly ✅ - Checking both email AND physical mailbox daily now (thanks @Nia Davis!) - Started organizing all my employment docs just in case - Bookmarked claimyr.com for if I need to actually talk to someone @MoonlightSonata your experience sounds almost identical to mine and knowing you got through it successfully in 4 weeks with full backpay gives me so much hope! @Fatima Al-Hashimi your breakdown of what to expect was super helpful too - I screenshot it for reference! Will definitely update this thread once I hear back from them. Fingers crossed it's good news! Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences and making this whole stressful process feel less isolating. This community is amazing! 💪✨