How long until NY unemployment claim confirmation? Told to certify but no approval yet
I just filed a new NY unemployment claim online three days ago and I'm still waiting for any kind of confirmation that it went through. The system told me I should certify for benefits tomorrow and then again on Sunday, but I haven't received any official approval for my claim yet. Is this normal? Should I go ahead and certify even though I don't have confirmation that my claim is approved? I'm worried if I certify too early it might mess something up. This is my first time filing for unemployment in New York and I'm confused about the timeline.
33 comments


Ev Luca
Yes, go ahead and certify when they tell you to! This is completely normal with NY unemployment. You won't receive an official approval before your first certification in most cases. The system is basically saying your claim was received and you should start the weekly certification process while they review your application in the background. Make sure you certify during your assigned time window each week.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Oh thank you! That's a relief. I was worried my application had fallen into some digital black hole. So even without formal approval, certifying won't cause any problems?
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Avery Davis
Go ahead & certify!!! It can take 2-3 WEEKS to get the official determination letter, but you need to keep certifying EVERY WEEK during that time! If you skip weeks thinking you need to wait for approval first, you'll lose those benefits forever!
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Thanks for the warning! I definitely don't want to miss out on any payments. I'll make sure to certify on schedule.
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Collins Angel
The NY unemployment system operates in parallel tracks - your claim is being processed while you simultaneously begin certifying. The official determination letter typically arrives in 2-3 weeks, but can take up to 4-6 weeks during busy periods. Some important things to know: - Continue certifying weekly as instructed - You won't receive payments until your claim is approved - Any eligible weeks you certified for will be paid retroactively once approved - The system might show $0.00 benefit rate until determination is complete Don't worry about the system telling you to certify - it's designed to work this way.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! That makes so much more sense now. Do you know if I'll get any kind of email notification when the determination is complete?
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Marcelle Drum
same thing just happened to me last month lol. just certify when they tell u to. took about 3 weeks to get the official determination letter but got paid for all those weeks i certified once approved
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•That's great to hear it worked out for you! Seems like I just need to be patient and keep certifying.
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Tate Jensen
The NY system is crazy confusing! I spent 6 WEEKS trying to reach someone when my claim was pending last year. Finally gave up and tried Claimyr.com - got through to a live agent in under 30 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Turns out my claim had a simple verification flag that the agent fixed in 2 minutes. Might be worth keeping in your back pocket if you run into issues after certifying for a few weeks with no payment.
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Adaline Wong
•Did Claimyr actually work? I thought those services were all scams. How much did they charge?
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Tate Jensen
•It definitely worked for me! I was skeptical too, but I was desperate after trying for weeks. I don't remember the exact cost, but it was worth every penny considering I was about to miss rent. The callback from NYSDOL came through as promised and the agent was able to resolve my issue immediately.
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Marcelle Drum
btw make sure ur available when u certify cuz sometimes they randomly call u right after to verify info
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Oh good to know! I hadn't heard about random verification calls. I'll make sure to keep my phone nearby.
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Gabriel Ruiz
Im going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed last week, was told to certify but no approval. I just went ahead and certified anyway on Sunday. Now im just waiting...and waiting...and waiting...
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Let me know if you hear anything! It's nice to know I'm not the only one in this situation.
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Ev Luca
One additional thing to be aware of: check your spam/junk mail folder regularly. The NYSDOL emails sometimes get filtered there, especially the initial claim confirmation and the DocuSign verification requests.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Good point! I just checked my spam folder and there's nothing there yet, but I'll keep an eye on it.
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Avery Davis
Whatever u do DO NOT call them asking about status!!! It can flag ur account for manual review which adds WEEKS to processing time! Just keep certifying and wait for the determination letter unless its been over a month with no updates.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Wow, I had no idea calling could actually delay things. Thanks for the warning - I'll definitely hold off on calling then.
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Collins Angel
To clarify on the timeline: 1. Initial claim filing (day 1) 2. Begin weekly certifications (as instructed) 3. Monetary determination letter (typically 2-3 weeks) 4. If approved, payments begin (including retroactive payments) 5. If additional information needed, you'll receive a request The NYSDOL system follows this process for everyone - so being instructed to certify is actually a positive sign that your claim was received and is in process.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Thank you for breaking down the steps! That helps me understand where I am in the process. I'll just keep certifying and try to be patient.
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Nia Harris
I went through this exact same anxiety when I first filed! The NY system definitely feels backwards - like you're certifying for benefits before you even know if you qualify. But everyone here is right - just keep certifying on schedule. I made the mistake of overthinking it and almost missed my first certification window because I was waiting for some kind of "official approval" that never comes before you start the process. The determination letter will come eventually, but in the meantime you're building your certification history which is crucial for getting those retroactive payments once approved.
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Kai Rivera
•That's exactly how I'm feeling right now! It does seem backwards to certify before getting approved, but hearing all these similar experiences is really reassuring. I'm glad you mentioned the certification history being important - I didn't realize that was a factor in getting retroactive payments. I'll definitely make sure not to miss any certification windows while I wait for the determination letter.
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Andre Laurent
Just want to add my experience for anyone else going through this - I filed my NY unemployment claim about 6 weeks ago and went through the exact same worry! The system told me to certify before I got any official approval letter, which seemed really strange. But I followed everyone's advice here and just kept certifying every week. Got my determination letter after about 3 weeks and was approved, then received all my back payments within a few days after that. The key thing is really just to stay consistent with your weekly certifications - don't skip any weeks thinking you need to wait for approval first. The NY system is definitely confusing but it does work if you follow their timeline. Also keep checking your online account regularly as sometimes updates appear there before you get any mail or emails.
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Sophia Nguyen
•This is so helpful to hear from someone who recently went through the whole process! I'm feeling much more confident now knowing that multiple people have had success just following the system's instructions. The part about checking the online account regularly is a great tip - I'll make sure to log in frequently to watch for any updates. It's reassuring to know that even though the process feels confusing and backwards, it actually does work out in the end if you stay consistent with certifying. Thanks for sharing your timeline too - 3 weeks for determination and then quick payment after approval gives me a realistic expectation of what to expect.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
I'm in the exact same boat right now! Filed my claim 4 days ago and got the same message about certifying but no official approval yet. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - I was convinced I'd done something wrong or that my application got lost. It's crazy how the NY system works but sounds like everyone goes through this same confusing process. I'll definitely start certifying when they tell me to and just be patient for that determination letter. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is way more helpful than anything on the official NYSDOL website!
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Andre Dubois
•I'm so glad I found this thread too! I was literally googling "NY unemployment told to certify but no approval" because I was so confused about whether I should follow the system's instructions or wait. It's wild how the official NYSDOL website doesn't explain this part of the process clearly at all. Seeing everyone's experiences here has been a huge relief - sounds like we just need to trust the system even though it feels backwards. I'm going to go ahead and certify tomorrow when my window opens. Thanks for posting about your situation - it's nice to know there are others going through the exact same thing right now!
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Dylan Wright
I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Filed my NY unemployment claim 5 days ago and have been anxiously waiting for some kind of confirmation email or letter. The system keeps telling me to certify this Sunday but I've been hesitating because it feels wrong to certify without official approval. Reading everyone's responses here has been incredibly reassuring though - sounds like this confusing process is actually totally normal for NY unemployment. I really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and experiences because the NYSDOL website is pretty vague about what to expect. Going to follow the advice here and just start certifying on schedule while I wait patiently for that determination letter to arrive. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in finding this system confusing!
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Issac Nightingale
•I'm in the exact same situation as you! Just filed my claim 6 days ago and have been stressing about whether to certify without that official approval. This whole thread has been a lifesaver - I had no idea this was the normal process for everyone in NY. It's honestly ridiculous how unclear the NYSDOL website is about this whole timeline. I was starting to think maybe I filled out something wrong or my application got stuck somewhere. But seeing all these people confirm that you're supposed to certify while your claim is still being reviewed makes me feel so much better. Definitely going to start my weekly certifications as instructed and just wait it out. Thanks for posting - it's really comforting to know there are others going through this confusing process at the same time!
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Amara Okafor
I just went through this same process a few months ago and can confirm what everyone is saying - definitely start certifying when the system tells you to! I was also really confused because it seemed backwards to certify before getting approval. The NY unemployment system basically works like this: they receive your application and immediately put you into the weekly certification cycle while they process your claim in the background. I ended up waiting about 2.5 weeks for my determination letter, but once it was approved I got paid for all the weeks I had been certifying. The most important thing is not to skip any certification weeks while you're waiting - those weeks can't be made up later if you miss them. Also keep an eye on your online account dashboard as sometimes status updates appear there before you get any mail. The waiting is stressful but the system does work!
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Ella Thompson
•Thank you for confirming this! It's such a relief to hear from someone who recently went through the whole process successfully. The part about not being able to make up missed certification weeks is really important to know - I definitely don't want to lose out on any potential benefits by hesitating. I'll make sure to keep checking my online dashboard regularly for updates too. It's frustrating that the NY system works this way but at least now I know it's intentional and not a glitch or mistake on my end!
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Connor O'Brien
I'm currently dealing with this exact situation too! Filed my NY unemployment claim about a week ago and have been getting those same instructions to certify even though I haven't received any official approval yet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was the standard process for NY unemployment claims. It's honestly pretty frustrating how the NYSDOL website doesn't clearly explain that you're supposed to start certifying while your claim is still under review. I was second-guessing myself thinking maybe I missed a step or filled something out wrong. But seeing everyone's experiences here confirms that this confusing timeline is just how the NY system operates. I'm going to follow the advice here and start my weekly certifications as instructed while I wait patiently for that determination letter. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it's really reassuring to know this process works out even though it feels so backwards at first!
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Mei Chen
•I totally understand your frustration! I'm actually in almost the exact same situation - filed my claim about 8 days ago and have been going back and forth on whether to start certifying without that approval letter. This whole thread has been such a game changer for my peace of mind. It's honestly kind of shocking how many of us are all dealing with this same confusing process right now, but it's also really comforting to see that everyone who followed through with certifying while waiting ended up getting their benefits eventually. The NY system definitely seems designed to stress people out with how backwards it feels, but at least now I know it's intentional and not some kind of error. I'm planning to do my first certification this weekend and just try to be patient during the waiting period. Thanks for sharing your experience - it helps knowing there are others going through this stressful process at the same time!
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