Service Canada – Invitation: apply for your SIN online

To work in Canada, all workers, including temporary foreign workers, must have a valid SIN. If the worker does not have one, or if it has expired, a new application must be submitted to create or update the SIN. It is the worker’s responsibility to apply for a SIN. As an employer or third party, we know that supporting your workers is a priority. Here is some information to facilitate applying for a SIN.

Service Canada offers several options:     

• Options to prioritize 

• Online SIN application:

• Is simple and effective
• Avoids visits to Service Canada Centres
• Allows the worker to apply online and upload the necessary documents
• Once the application has been processed, a confirmation of the SIN can be sent by mail or accessed via the My Service Canada Account (MSCA) portal; pre-registration for this option is required

• At Montreal-Trudeau airport (YUL):

• The SIN can be requested on site if the worker presents all the required documents
• A SIN clinic is located in the public zone, on the basement level (SS2), near the Biron health center (see attached map)? Check flyer
• Service hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – subject to change

• Other available options

• Group sessions such as SIN clinics can be held in the workplace when capacity allows it. To request this service, contact the Citizen Service Specialists team, who will assess your needs. For more information, visit Service Canada Community Outreach and Liaison Services – Canada.ca or submit a request for assistance to schedule this service.

• SIN application in person, at a Service Canada Centre

• If you need to visit a Service Canada Centre with a group of employees, we recommend that you make an appointment by completing an eServiceCanada – Service Request Form  and specifying the number of people who will be present.

·     By mail  Social Insurance Number – Apply, update or obtain a SIN confirmation – Canada.ca

• Information for newcomers on the SIN and documents required to apply

Attached is an information sheet for newcomers to Canada, outlining the documents required to obtain a SIN, available in English, French and Spanish (documents can be shared with Temporary foreign workers).

• Virtual information sessions for employers and Temporary foreign workers

As an employer or third party, you may need to help temporary foreign workers with the procedures to apply for a SIN.

To support you and the workers, Service Canada offers information sessions via Teams on how to apply for a SIN online.

Click on the Teams link below at the date and time of the session you wish to attend:

• Additional information for employers and Temporary foreign workers

• Employer information – Social Insurance Number (SIN) – Canada.ca: explains the responsibilities and obligations associated with the SIN. Once the SIN application has been submitted, the worker can work and be paid by their employer

·      Protect your SIN: explains the importance of protecting this number and how to use it properly

·     Temporary foreign workers – Your rights are protected: provides information specific to Temporary foreign workers

• References       

• If the worker needs further assistance with the SIN, they can:

• Contact the Social Insurance Number (SIN) Program – Canada.ca – To inquire about the status of the SIN application and obtain answers to general questions
• Complete the eServiceCanada – Service Request Form – For assistance with the SIN application process, required documents or other details. Service Canada will contact the client within 2 business days to provide the requested assistance