Can Washington ESD track my passport for unemployment benefits?

Washington ESD doesn't directly track passport usage, but you do need to report if you're unavailable for work. If you're out of the country, you typically can't be considered available for work which is a requirement for receiving UI benefits.

i went to canada last year and didnt report it and nothing happened but maybe i got lucky

I had a similar situation last month and couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask about it. The phone lines are always busy and I was getting really stressed about doing the wrong thing. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual ESD agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. The agent was able to explain exactly what I needed to do about reporting travel.

The key thing to understand is that Washington ESD requires you to be able and available for work each week you claim benefits. Being outside the country generally makes you unavailable, regardless of whether they can track your passport. You need to answer the weekly claim questions honestly about your availability.

DONT RISK IT! I know someone who got caught not reporting travel and had to pay back everything plus penalties. Washington ESD does audit claims and they have ways of finding out.

I'm in a similar boat - have a wedding to attend in Mexico next month. From what I've read, you just don't file claims for the weeks you're gone and resume when you get back. The system doesn't penalize you for not filing if you're unavailable.

what about if you just dont answer the question about being available? can you skip that part?

To directly answer your question - no, Washington ESD doesn't actively track passport usage. However, they do require honest reporting of your availability for work. If you're traveling internationally, you should report that you're unavailable for those weeks rather than filing claims.

Just wanted to follow up - after I used Claimyr to talk to an ESD agent about my travel situation, they told me exactly what weeks I needed to skip and how to resume filing when I returned. Made the whole process much less stressful than trying to guess what to do.

My understanding is that they cross-reference with Homeland Security sometimes during audits, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Either way, being honest about availability is the safest route.

I had a friend who traveled to Europe and didn't report it. Nothing happened immediately but during a random audit 6 months later they found out and she had to pay back 8 weeks of benefits plus a penalty.

The bottom line is you need to be available for work to receive benefits. If you're out of the country, you're not available. Pretty straightforward rule even if enforcement varies.

does anyone know if you have to report domestic travel too? like if im visiting another state for a week?

I think the key point everyone's making is that it's not really about whether they CAN track your passport, it's about whether you're honestly reporting your availability. That's what matters for your claim.

I just want to add that when you resume filing after your trip, make sure to answer "yes" to being available for work again on your first claim back. I've heard some people get confused about that transition. Also, keep records of your travel dates just in case you ever need to provide documentation later. Washington ESD appreciates when claimants are proactive about following the rules correctly.