Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is the 9-digit number you need to work in Canada, file taxes and get government benefits. How fast you get it depends on how you apply: in person at a Service Canada office, you get the number during your visit if your documents are in order, while online and mail applications take days or weeks. This page covers each method, the documents for each status, SINs that start with 9, and replacing a lost SIN letter. It’s one of the first steps in setting up your finances as a newcomer.
How long it takes, by method
| How you apply | Processing time (complete application) | How you receive the number |
|---|---|---|
| In person at Service Canada | During your visit | At the counter; you keep your documents |
| Online | About 5 business days | In My Service Canada Account, or a confirmation letter by mail |
| By mail | About 20 business days | A SIN confirmation letter by mail; your documents are mailed back |
| Newborn, through a province’s birth registration | Part of registering the birth | Arranged by the province (all provinces; in the territories, apply to Service Canada) |
Service Canada asks you to contact the SIN program if you haven’t received your SIN more than 10 business days after applying online, or more than 25 business days after applying by mail. There is no fee to apply.
There is no SIN card any more. Service Canada no longer issues plastic SIN cards (old ones can still be used). Your proof of SIN is a confirmation of SIN letter, on paper or in digital form.
Documents you need, by status
Every application needs one primary document, which proves your status in Canada, and one secondary document, which confirms your identity (a valid Canadian or foreign passport, a Canadian driver’s licence, or a provincial or territorial ID card). If your name has changed since the primary document was issued, add a supporting document such as a marriage certificate or a legal change-of-name certificate.
| Your status | Primary document (one of) |
|---|---|
| Canadian citizen | A birth certificate issued by the province or territory of birth, a certificate of Canadian citizenship, or a Registration of Birth Abroad (before 1977) |
| Permanent resident | Your PR card, your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) within one year of becoming a permanent resident, or a Record of Landing issued before June 28, 2002 |
| Temporary resident | A work permit, a study permit that says you “may work” or “may accept employment” in Canada, or a visitor record that shows you are authorized to work |
A Canadian passport counts only as the secondary document, not the primary one. Online, you upload clear copies of both sides of each document; by mail or in person, you provide the originals. Documents in a language other than English or French need a translation, and Service Canada doesn’t accept translations by family members.
SINs that start with 9
SINs issued to temporary residents always start with 9 and expire on the same date as your work permit, study permit or visitor record. You can start working as soon as you apply; you don’t have to wait for the number. When you get a new permit with a new expiry date, or your status changes (for example, to permanent resident), you apply again to update your SIN record. If your SIN expires while IRCC processes an extension you applied for (maintained status), you can keep working with the expired SIN until IRCC decides.
What a permit holder can open and contribute to is covered in money on a work permit, and the update that follows permanent residence is part of the new permanent resident financial checklist. Citizenship comes later for most newcomers; what Canadian citizenship changes financially compares it with permanent residence.
Who can ask for your SIN
You are legally required to give your SIN to an employer (after you are hired and start earning income), to financial institutions that report your interest or dividend income, and to government programs such as taxes, EI, student loans and public pensions. That income reporting is why a bank asks for your SIN when you open a bank account. Service Canada also lists situations where you don’t have to provide it at all, including:
- filling out a job application;
- applying for a credit card, mortgage or line of credit, or cashing a cheque;
- renting a property;
- signing up for phone, internet or cable service (except Hydro-Québec, which must collect it by provincial law);
- applying for post-secondary education or requesting a credit report.
A business can’t deny you a product or service for refusing to give your SIN when the law doesn’t require it. Since your first credit card application doesn’t need a SIN either, choosing a first credit card as a newcomer can happen in parallel.
Filing taxes before you have a SIN
If Service Canada can’t issue you a SIN, the CRA can give you a temporary tax number to file a return and apply for benefits. The options are in filing taxes without a SIN.
Replacing a lost SIN letter
If you know your SIN, you don’t need to apply again: you can view and print it in My Service Canada Account. If you can’t, apply for a confirmation of SIN online, by mail or in person with the same primary and secondary documents as a first application. There is no fee.
If your SIN is stolen or misused
Service Canada’s steps for SIN fraud:
- File a police report and ask for a copy.
- Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501 or online).
- Ask both credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, for your credit reports and look for accounts or inquiries you don’t recognize.
- Tell your financial institutions, and close any account you didn’t open.
- If the SIN was used to get government payments, report it to that program (for example, Employment Insurance).
You don’t have to report the fraud to the SIN program, but you can ask it for a new SIN; it lists the documents needed, starting with the police report.