MAKE SURE you report your exact start date and any training pay or partial week wages correctly on your final claim! NYS Department of Labor will audit this stuff and if you mess up the dates they'll say you committed fraud. I've seen people get in serious trouble for not being precise about their return to work timing.

Just wanted to add - keep all your documentation from your last claim filing and your new job start date. Screenshot your final weekly certification if possible. I had to reference mine months later when there was a discrepancy in their system about my benefit year balance. Having that proof saved me from having to jump through hoops to prove I filed correctly.

Update: I tried calling again today using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and actually got through to a tier 2 specialist! They confirmed that my verification was completed by Homeland Security last week but was sitting in a queue waiting for final review. The specialist manually moved it to the payment processing stage and said I should see funds in 3-5 business days. Also, they're going to include all the backdated payments! Thanks everyone for your help!

Congrats on getting it resolved! This thread is so helpful - I'm dealing with a similar work authorization issue right now (H1B visa holder) and have been stuck for 2 weeks. Going to try the Claimyr service and also check if my name matches exactly between my documents and application. It's crazy how many different answers we get from different agents when most of them don't seem to understand the SAVE verification process at all. Thanks for sharing your update!

Just want to say hang in there - I know the waiting is stressful especially when you have bills due. Once the system gets going with your payments they usually become more predictable.

I went through this same situation a few months ago and the waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when you're counting on that money. In my experience, the first payment after approval typically takes 10-14 business days to arrive by mail. Since you filed your weekly claim on Sunday and it shows as processed, you're probably looking at getting the check sometime next week if you're lucky, or the week after more realistically. One thing that helped me track it better was setting up text alerts through my.ny.gov - at least then you know exactly when they say it's been mailed out. The good news is that once you get into the rhythm, subsequent checks usually come much more consistently.

Write a formal hardship letter. Send it certified mail to NYSDOL Commissioner's Office. Include documentation of financial hardship (eviction notice, utility shutoff, bank statements showing $0, etc). By law they have to prioritize hardship cases. My cousin works at DOL and told me this is what actually gets claims expedited internally.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of waiting 5+ months for basic financial support you're entitled to is unimaginable. I've been following this thread and there's some really solid advice here. Based on what others have shared, I'd prioritize these steps in this order: 1) Contact your STATE SENATOR's office (not just assemblyman) - they seem to have more direct connections to DOL, 2) Send that certified hardship letter to the Commissioner's office that Maria mentioned - especially since you're facing eviction, 3) File the AG complaint that ApolloJackson suggested, and 4) Try that claimyr service to actually get through to a Tier 2 agent who can see what's really blocking your claim. Document everything with dates and names. Don't give up - you've paid into this system and deserve these benefits. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease with NY unemployment. Sending you strength! 💪

The whole system is so confusing!! Why can't they just make this stuff clear on the website instead of making us guess about every little detail.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - on workers comp for a shoulder injury but can still do computer work. What I learned is you need to be really specific with the Department of Labor about what type of work you CAN do, not just what you can't. When I registered for work search, I made sure to list all the job types that don't involve physical labor. The key is being honest about your restrictions while showing you're genuinely looking for suitable work within those limits.