ESD weekly claim while briefly visiting Canada - can I still file?
Hey everyone, quick question about a same-day trip to Canada while on unemployment. My college buddy from Vancouver invited me to meet up for lunch next week. I'd drive up in the morning, hang out with him for a few hours, and then drive back to Bellingham that same evening. Will this cause any issues with my weekly ESD claim? I'm worried because I know we're supposed to be "able and available" for work, but I'd literally just be gone for like 8 hours and would still be actively checking emails and applying for jobs from my phone. Has anyone traveled briefly to Canada while on unemployment? Should I report this on my weekly claim somehow or just file normally since I'm not actually staying overnight? Really don't want to mess anything up with my benefits right now.
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Liam Mendez
ur fine just file like normal. I went to portland for a weekend last month and didnt say anything, its not like ur moving there
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Sophia Nguyen
•This is incorrect advice. ESD requires you to report ANY time you are unavailable for work during your claim week. While a brief day trip might not affect your eligibility, you absolutely need to report it when filing your weekly claim. There's a specific question about whether you were able and available for work each day of the week.
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Jacob Smithson
I just went through this!!! You HAVE to report it on your weekly claim when it asks if you were "able and available for work" each day. For the day you're in Canada, select NO and it will ask for a reason - just explain you were on a brief day trip but were still checking emails and could have returned for an interview if needed. ESD will decide if you were "available" enough, but they might just reduce that day's benefit amount rather than the whole week. BE HONEST - they can check border crossings!
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Emily Jackson
•Thanks for the heads up! So I should mark "no" even though it's just a few hours during the day? I guess that makes sense. Did they end up reducing your benefit amount when you did this?
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Isabella Brown
My sister got in trouble for not reporting a trip to BC last year. Just say NO for that day when it asks if you were available and explain it was just a day trip. Better safe than sorry with ESD!!!
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Maya Patel
To clarify what others have said: Under ESD regulations, you must be physically present in your labor market and immediately available to accept suitable work. Crossing an international border, even for a few hours, technically makes you unavailable during that time. When filing your weekly claim, you'll need to answer "No" to the question asking if you were able and available for all 7 days. ESD will then determine if this brief unavailability affects your benefits. They may prorate your weekly benefit amount by reducing 1/7 of your payment for that one day, or they might find the brief trip didn't substantially impact your job search activities and pay your full benefit. The important thing is to be truthful - misrepresentation can lead to overpayments and penalties later.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•This happened to me! They only reduced my benefit by one day's worth (about $108 in my case). WAY better than getting hit with an overpayment notice later! The ESD system actually makes this pretty simple - just follow the prompts after you select "no" for that day.
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Emma Garcia
OMG these answers are making this way more complicated than it needs to be! It's JUST a day trip! You're not moving to Canada! You'll be checking emails! Don't overthink this!
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Sophia Nguyen
•While I understand your perspective, unemployment insurance has specific rules that must be followed. International travel, even briefly, does impact your "able and available" status according to ESD guidelines. It's always better to report accurately than risk potential overpayment issues later.
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Ava Kim
I tried calling ESD directly to ask about a similar situation when I went to Portland for a day and couldn't get through for TWO DAYS!! Kept getting disconnected or the "call volume too high" message. So frustrating when you just need a simple answer!!
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Jacob Smithson
•You should try Claimyr - it literally got me through to an ESD agent in about 30 minutes when I had questions about my Canada trip. They have this system that keeps dialing for you and puts you in the queue when there's an opening. Saved me hours of redial hell. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and you can check it out at claimyr.com. Totally worth it for getting clear answers directly from ESD.
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Emily Jackson
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'll definitely mark "no" for that day on my claim and explain it's just a brief day trip. Better to be honest than risk issues later. I'll still be actively job searching that day and available by phone/email, so hopefully they'll just reduce by 1/7 instead of the whole week. Really appreciate all the input!
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AstroAce
Just wanted to add my experience - I had a similar day trip to Victoria last fall and reported it exactly like Maya and Jacob suggested. ESD reduced my weekly benefit by 1/7th (about $95 in my case) but I didn't get any penalties or issues. The key is being upfront about it when you file. Also, keep any documentation like receipts or photos from your trip in case they ask questions later. The online claim system walks you through it pretty clearly once you select "no" for that day. Have fun with your friend!
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Ethan Taylor
•That's really helpful to know about the 1/7th reduction - gives me a better idea of what to expect! I'll definitely keep my receipts and maybe a photo or two from the trip just in case. Did ESD ask you for any additional documentation when you filed, or did they just accept your explanation in the claim form?
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