Can't reach NY unemployment by phone while overseas - need to submit documents urgently

Thanks for the number! I've tried calling a few times but never get through - just endless hold music. The VPN is a good idea though, I hadn't thought of that. I'll try downloading one today and see if I can bypass their geoblocking.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I don't have anyone in NY who could mail things for me. Did you ever manage to actually speak to someone on the phone?

nope never got thru on phone. tried like 50 times

paid service to reach a government agency we already pay for with our taxes??? this country is a joke

Yeah I get it, it's ridiculous we have to pay extra just to access basic services. But after weeks of frustration, I was desperate. International calling would probably cost more in the long run anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'd never heard of Claimyr before. Just watched their video - does it actually work? I'm willing to pay at this point since international calling rates are killing me just to sit on hold and get disconnected.

This is really helpful! I'll email them today with all the details of my fax. Do you know if there are any specific requirements for the subject line when emailing them? I want to make sure it doesn't get filtered out as spam.

Use a simple subject line like "Document Submission Verification - [Your Full Name] - [Last 4 SSN]". That typically ensures it gets properly routed. Also, if you don't hear back within 5-7 business days, follow up with another email referencing your original message date.

That number is specifically for filing new claims. It won't help with document verification issues, unfortunately.

oh my bad. phone systems so confusing

The Spanish option is brilliant! I'll definitely try that. And I'll set my alarm for the middle of the night to try calling right when they open. Worth losing some sleep if I can finally get this resolved. Thanks!

I'm not collecting right now - this is about documents they requested for a previous claim period when I WAS in NY. I'm overseas temporarily handling a family emergency, but need to resolve this so everything's in order when I return next month.

oh gotcha that makes more sense. good luck!

That email address has been changed. The current one for claim issues is correctionrequest@labor.ny.gov, and for document submission specifically it's documents@labor.ny.gov as I mentioned in my previous comment.

Thanks for the correction! The system changes so often it's hard to keep track of the current contacts.

Quick update - I used the Spanish option trick that someone suggested here and actually got through yesterday! Waited about 25 minutes instead of hours. They confirmed they received my fax but said I was missing one form (even though I sent it!). The agent was able to note in my account that I'm overseas temporarily and gave me a direct fax number to send the missing form. So if you're still having trouble, definitely try the Spanish option!

@a1978de8d17d That's awesome! Glad the Spanish option worked for you. Can you share that direct fax number they gave you? I've been having the same issue with them "losing" my documents and a direct line would be super helpful. Also, did they give you any timeline for when your case will be fully processed now that they have everything?

@a1978de8d17d That's great news! The Spanish option tip is gold - I'm definitely going to try that. Did they give you any specific timeline for processing once they have all your documents? I'm in a similar boat with missing paperwork and getting really anxious about potential delays.

@a1978de8d17d So glad you finally got through! That Spanish option tip is genius - I never would have thought of that. I'm dealing with a similar situation where they keep claiming they never received my documents. Could you share that direct fax number if you don't mind? Having a direct line would be a game changer for those of us stuck in this nightmare loop of re-sending the same paperwork over and over.

@a1978de8d17d Wow, that's fantastic that you got through! The Spanish option trick is brilliant - I would never have thought of that. I'm in a similar situation where I've been trying to reach them for weeks about missing documents. If you're comfortable sharing, could you post that direct fax number? It would be incredibly helpful for others dealing with the same "lost documents" runaround. Also, did the agent give you any sense of how long processing takes once they have everything? Thanks for updating us - it gives me hope that there's actually a way to reach a human being at that place!

@b6acb3993ef9 Thanks for the additional tips! The 0 followed by # trick is something I haven't tried yet. I'm definitely going to give that a shot along with the Spanish option that worked for @a1978de8d17d. It's crazy that we have to resort to all these workarounds just to reach a government agency that's supposed to serve us. But at this point I'm willing to try anything! The ExpressVPN suggestion is helpful too - I've been struggling with the login issues from overseas so I'll look into that service.

@b10ddae3f4e8 The Google Voice tip is brilliant! I hadn't thought of using that to avoid international calling rates. I'm definitely going to set that up today. And you're absolutely right about the state representative option - I should have tried that earlier. Even though I'm overseas, I'm still a NY resident so my assemblyperson should be able to help. @a1978de8d17d thanks again for sharing your success story - it's given all of us hope that there's actually a way through this maze! The Spanish option trick is going to be my first attempt tomorrow morning. It's ridiculous that we have to crowdsource solutions just to access basic government services, but I'm grateful for this community. You've all provided more helpful information in one thread than I've gotten from hours of trying to navigate their official channels!