How far in advance can I apply for maternity leave?

I'm already on short-term disability and waiting for payments

I don’t think you can until the day of? You could try going through the form and see if it lets you put a farther date. I’ve always done it the day after I’m done

Don't do it until the day you start. I did it my last day of work which was 3 days before my c-section and even though I put the date of the section when it asked it started me on the day I applied

For the non-birthing parent also you cannot do it until the day the child is born or after

You can’t apply until you’ve stopped working - STD through your employer would still be considered working. You can apply up to 12 weeks before your due date but you can’t be working or on STD and your mat leave EI payments would start during that time

@Bryanna I've already been waiting a month for disability. I've already had to dip into my son's saving to buy groceries this week. I was hoping that I could apply sooner so I didn't have to wait

Maternity leave and disability leave are different. You can apply for maternity 12 weeks before the baby is due. You can't be working and ensure you have your ROE ready to submit and that you meet all eligibility requirements! If I recall correctly you can apply for maternity and parental at the same time. If you do this ensure you have decided what the non birthing parent will take before you apply for parental leave. You can't be on disability and maternity leave (ei) at the same time. You may have a waiting period for your disability if it's STD through your employer. I believe there is a 2 week waiting period for medical leave for EI. Again, have all paperwork in order. Edited to say 12 weeks before your due date. Also adding the government site. You do not have to wait to apply as many people believe.https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/apply.html

You can only apply for Maternity leave the day it starts

@Ellie both times I think I waited maybe 3 weeks for payment. I think it’s faster than disability.

@Dani it's not through my employer

I went on medical leave for a month and switched to maternity leave when my son was born.