Can unemployment track my passport - worried about overseas travel affecting my NYS Department of Labor claim

You need to be very careful with this. NYS Department of Labor requires you to be available for work and able to accept employment immediately. If you're out of the country, you technically don't meet the 'able and available' requirement. You should report any travel when you file your weekly claim and expect your benefits to be suspended for those weeks you're away.

they dont directly track your passport but if they audit your claim for any reason they can request travel records from customs. happened to my cousin - she got caught and had to pay back like $2800 in benefits

The honest approach is best here. You should contact NYS Department of Labor before you travel and explain the situation. They may allow you to skip filing weekly claims for those weeks without penalty, but you won't receive benefits for the time you're away. It's better than risking an overpayment determination later. Call their customer service line or better yet, if you can't get through, try using Claimyr at claimyr.com - they help people reach actual NYS Department of Labor agents when the phone lines are jammed. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.

Look the system is so backed up they probably won't even notice but if you get audited later you're screwed. I know someone who got hit with a huge overpayment notice two years after the fact because they found undisclosed travel. The interest and penalties made it way worse than just losing a couple weeks of benefits upfront.

Just be honest about it. The wedding is a legitimate reason and they understand life happens. You'll lose those weeks of benefits but you won't get in trouble for fraud if you report it properly. The 'able and available' requirement is pretty strict - you can't be on vacation in another country and claim you're available for work in New York.

I went through something similar last year when I had a pre-planned vacation to visit family abroad. The key thing is DON'T try to hide it or continue filing while you're away - that's considered fraud. What I did was call the unemployment office about 3 weeks before my trip (though it took forever to get through) and told them exactly when I'd be leaving and returning. They told me to simply not file my weekly claim for the weeks I was gone, then resume filing when I got back. I lost about $1,200 in benefits for those 2 weeks, but it was way better than risking an overpayment investigation later. The rep actually said they appreciate when people are upfront about travel because it shows you're not trying to game the system. Your sister's wedding is definitely a valid reason - they're not heartless, they just need to follow the rules about work availability.

I actually work in unemployment law and can confirm what Dylan and Cameron are saying - transparency is absolutely crucial here. The NYS Department of Labor has access to more data than most people realize, and while they don't routinely cross-reference passport records for every claim, they definitely can and will if your claim gets flagged for any reason. I've seen cases where people thought they were safe because "it's just a few days" but ended up with overpayment notices months later. The penalties and interest can be brutal. For your sister's wedding, this is exactly the kind of situation where being upfront actually works in your favor. Call them now, explain it's a pre-planned family wedding, and ask to suspend your claim for those weeks. Most agents are understanding about genuine family obligations when you're honest about it. Don't risk your entire unemployment eligibility over 10 days of benefits - it's just not worth it.

I'm dealing with a similar situation - I have a destination wedding I'm supposed to attend in 6 weeks and I've been stressed about how to handle it with my unemployment claim. Reading through everyone's responses here has been really eye-opening. It sounds like the consensus is definitely to be upfront about it rather than risk getting caught later. I had no idea they could potentially access travel records during audits - that's honestly terrifying to think about. I'm going to follow the advice here and call the unemployment office this week to report my travel dates in advance. Has anyone here actually used that Claimyr service that Cameron mentioned? I've been trying to get through to a real person for weeks and it's been impossible. Even if I have to lose a week or two of benefits, it's better than potentially owing back thousands later with interest and penalties.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago with a family reunion overseas. The anxiety was killing me because I didn't want to mess up my benefits, but I also couldn't miss this important family event. I ended up calling NYS DOL about a month before my trip (took multiple attempts to get through) and was completely honest about the situation. The agent was actually really understanding and told me to just skip filing my weekly claims for the weeks I'd be away, then resume when I returned. I lost about 3 weeks of benefits (around $1,500 for me), but it was so much better than the stress of wondering if I'd get caught later. The agent even put notes in my file about the approved travel dates. When I came back and resumed filing, there were no issues at all. My advice: call them ASAP, be completely honest, and don't try to file while you're away. Family weddings are exactly the kind of legitimate reason they understand. The peace of mind is worth way more than those few weeks of benefits you'll miss.

I can't stress this enough - do NOT try to hide international travel from unemployment. I learned this the hard way when I got audited 8 months after a "quick" trip to Canada that I didn't report. Even though it was just 4 days, they found the border crossing records and I ended up owing back $3,200 plus penalties. The audit process was a nightmare and took months to resolve. For your sister's wedding, absolutely call NYS DOL ahead of time and suspend your claim for those weeks. Yes, you'll lose some benefits, but it's infinitely better than potentially facing fraud charges later. I wish someone had given me this advice before I made my mistake. The "able and available" requirement isn't just a suggestion - they take it very seriously. Save yourself the headache and do this the right way from the start.

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when I had to attend my cousin's wedding in Italy while on unemployment. I was terrified about how to handle it, but after reading horror stories online about people getting caught, I decided to be completely transparent with NYS DOL. I called them about 3 weeks before my trip (definitely use Claimyr if you can't get through - totally worth the $20) and explained the situation. The agent was actually very understanding and told me to simply not file my weekly claims while I was gone (10 days for me too) and resume when I returned. I lost about $2,400 in benefits, which hurt, but the peace of mind was invaluable. When I came back and resumed filing, everything went smoothly with no issues. The agent even mentioned that family weddings are one of the most common legitimate reasons people need to travel, and they much prefer when claimants are upfront about it rather than trying to hide it. Trust me, losing those 2 weeks of benefits is nothing compared to the potential nightmare of an overpayment investigation. Call them now, be honest, and enjoy your sister's wedding without the stress!

I'm in a very similar boat - I have a family reunion planned overseas that was booked months before I lost my job, and I've been absolutely stressed about how to handle it with my unemployment claim. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially hearing from people who actually went through this situation. It's clear that being upfront is definitely the way to go, even though losing those weeks of benefits will hurt financially. What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned that NYS DOL agents are actually understanding about legitimate family events when you're honest about them. I think I was expecting them to be harsh or judgmental, but it sounds like they deal with these situations regularly. I'm going to call them this week to report my travel dates - better to lose a few weeks of benefits than risk the nightmare scenarios people have shared about audits and overpayment notices. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences, especially those who were honest about the tough financial consequences. It's helping me make the right decision even though it's not easy.

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying here - definitely be upfront with NYS DOL about your travel. I had a similar situation last year with a pre-planned family vacation to Mexico, and I was terrified about how to handle it. After reading stories online about people getting audited and owing back thousands, I decided honesty was the only way to go. I called about 4 weeks before my trip (took forever to get through, but persistence paid off) and explained the situation. The agent was completely understanding and just told me not to file for the weeks I'd be away. I lost about $1,800 in benefits for those 3 weeks, which definitely hurt at the time, but the peace of mind was worth every penny. When I returned and resumed filing, there were zero issues. The agent even mentioned they see family weddings all the time and appreciate when people handle it properly rather than trying to hide it. Trust me, your sister's wedding is exactly the kind of legitimate reason they understand. Call them ASAP, be completely honest, and don't stress about it - you're doing the right thing by asking these questions and planning to handle it properly!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I have a destination wedding I need to attend in about 6 weeks and I've been losing sleep over how to handle it with my unemployment benefits. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially from those who were honest upfront versus Sean's audit horror story - has completely convinced me that transparency is the only way to go. What really stands out is how consistently people mention that NYS DOL agents are understanding about legitimate family events when you're upfront about them. I was expecting them to be judgmental or difficult, but it sounds like they deal with these situations regularly and actually appreciate honesty. I'm definitely going to call them this week to report my travel dates and request to suspend my claim for those weeks. Yes, losing 1-2 weeks of benefits will hurt financially, but it's nothing compared to potentially owing back thousands in overpayments plus penalties later. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's exactly what people in this situation need to hear to make the right decision!

I just went through this exact situation about 3 months ago when I had to attend my best friend's wedding in Ireland. I was absolutely terrified about how NYS DOL would react, but after reading horror stories about people getting audited years later, I knew I had to be completely honest. I called them about 5 weeks before my trip (definitely recommend using Claimyr if you can't get through - saved me hours of frustration) and explained it was a pre-planned wedding I couldn't miss. The agent was actually really compassionate and said family/close friend weddings are some of the most legitimate reasons for travel they see. She told me to simply not file my weekly claims for the 2 weeks I'd be gone and resume when I returned. I lost about $1,600 in benefits, which was painful at the time, but the peace of mind was priceless. When I came back and resumed filing, everything went smoothly with zero issues. The agent even put detailed notes in my file about the approved travel dates. Hannah, I know it's scary to potentially lose those benefits, but after reading all these experiences here, it's crystal clear that being upfront is the only smart move. Your sister's wedding is exactly the kind of situation they understand - call them ASAP and don't stress about it!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - I have my cousin's wedding in Portugal in 7 weeks and I've been absolutely stressed about how to handle it with my unemployment claim. This entire thread has been such a blessing to find because I was convinced I'd have to choose between my family and my benefits. Reading everyone's real experiences here, especially the consistency in how understanding the NYS DOL agents were when people were upfront about family weddings, has completely changed my perspective. What really sealed it for me was Sean's audit story - owing back over $3K plus penalties for just 4 days is exactly the nightmare I want to avoid. I'm calling NYS DOL tomorrow morning to report my travel dates and request to suspend my claim for those weeks. Yes, losing 10-12 days of benefits will hurt (probably around $1,400-1,500 for me), but the peace of mind and avoiding potential fraud issues is worth so much more. Thank you everyone for being so open about your experiences - this thread should honestly be required reading for anyone on unemployment who has upcoming family events. Hannah, definitely make that call ASAP and be completely honest about your sister's wedding. From everything I've read here, you'll be so glad you handled it the right way!

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I have my niece's wedding in Spain coming up in about 6 weeks and I've been absolutely panicking about how to handle it with my unemployment benefits. Like everyone else here, I was terrified that NYS DOL would be harsh or judgmental about requesting time off for a family wedding, but reading all these real experiences has completely changed my perspective. The pattern is so clear - every single person who was upfront about legitimate family travel had understanding agents and smooth experiences, while those who tried to hide it faced serious consequences later. Sean's audit story especially drove home how risky it would be to not disclose the travel. I'm definitely calling NYS DOL this week to report my travel dates and request to suspend my claim for those 10 days. Losing about $1,500 in benefits will be tough financially, but the peace of mind and avoiding potential fraud investigations is worth so much more. Thank you everyone for being so transparent about your experiences - this thread is exactly what people dealing with this stressful situation need to see. Hannah, I hope your call goes well and that you can enjoy your sister's wedding without worrying!