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What Is A Social Insurance Number
WHAT IS SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER?
Like the US has the social security number, Canadian citizens get an all purpose number called the social insurance number or SIN in short. Created in 1964, as a number given to Canadians for administrative and accounting purposes, it was used by the tax authorities in 1967, now called the CRA. Currently, it is issued by the human resources and social development, Canada, and is the nine digit unique id number for all Canadian citizens, called the social insurance number. Numbers beginning with ‘9’ denote non citizens and temporary residents, and has an expiry date.
There are certain regulations laid down by the law for the usage of Social insurance numbers and under certain conditions it could be construed as ethically questionable to ask for a person’s Social insurance number. Now to all intentions and purposes the SIN has become the national identification number. For getting a work permit in Canada and to avail any benefits from the various government programs, one needs the SIN.
Anyone can approach the service Canada centre and apply for the SIN or with the newborn registration service. The SIN is a very valuable and private number and has to be guarded like any other valuable property. Anyone can get hold of your SIN and use it for applying for a credit card or a loan or a bank account etc. and in the eyes of the law you will be responsible as the holder of the SIN. The only people who can legally ask you for your SIN are the Canada customs and revenue agency, banks and employers for income tax reporting and some government agencies like the CPP, the OAS, etc. Whenever you are in doubt over the legality of the request for the SIN, ask them for proof requiring you to provide your SIN.
If the organization is unable to provide such proof, yet insist that you divulge your SIN, you can file a complaint against them with the office of the privacy commissioner of Canada. Even most banks are not legally required to ask for your SIN. The only people who can do so are the CRA and other government agencies when you approach them for availing federal benefits.
Of course there are detractors who feel that it is a totally outmoded concept and that in this digital age it is just a means of relatively easy identity theft and fraud. Some studies have shown the startling fact that there are almost 3 million more social insurance numbers than there are Canadians which can give one the scope for fraud and misuse of these numbers. The HRDC has to be more stringent in its checking and verification process before handing out such important multi-purpose identification. In case of temporary numbers with the ‘900’ series, they keep track of temporary residents and cancel their social insurance numbers when they leave Canada. Social insurance numbers that are inactive for more than five years for whatever reason get automatically cancelled, preventing their misuse.
Like the US has the social security number, Canadian citizens get an all purpose number called the social insurance number or SIN in short. Created in 1964, as a number given to Canadians for administrative and accounting purposes, it was used by the tax authorities in 1967, now called the CRA. Currently, it is issued by the human resources and social development, Canada, and is the nine digit unique id number for all Canadian citizens, called the social insurance number. Numbers beginning with ‘9’ denote non citizens and temporary residents, and has an expiry date.
There are certain regulations laid down by the law for the usage of Social insurance numbers and under certain conditions it could be construed as ethically questionable to ask for a person’s Social insurance number. Now to all intentions and purposes the SIN has become the national identification number. For getting a work permit in Canada and to avail any benefits from the various government programs, one needs the SIN.
Anyone can approach the service Canada centre and apply for the SIN or with the newborn registration service. The SIN is a very valuable and private number and has to be guarded like any other valuable property. Anyone can get hold of your SIN and use it for applying for a credit card or a loan or a bank account etc. and in the eyes of the law you will be responsible as the holder of the SIN. The only people who can legally ask you for your SIN are the Canada customs and revenue agency, banks and employers for income tax reporting and some government agencies like the CPP, the OAS, etc. Whenever you are in doubt over the legality of the request for the SIN, ask them for proof requiring you to provide your SIN.
If the organization is unable to provide such proof, yet insist that you divulge your SIN, you can file a complaint against them with the office of the privacy commissioner of Canada. Even most banks are not legally required to ask for your SIN. The only people who can do so are the CRA and other government agencies when you approach them for availing federal benefits.
Of course there are detractors who feel that it is a totally outmoded concept and that in this digital age it is just a means of relatively easy identity theft and fraud. Some studies have shown the startling fact that there are almost 3 million more social insurance numbers than there are Canadians which can give one the scope for fraud and misuse of these numbers. The HRDC has to be more stringent in its checking and verification process before handing out such important multi-purpose identification. In case of temporary numbers with the ‘900’ series, they keep track of temporary residents and cancel their social insurance numbers when they leave Canada. Social insurance numbers that are inactive for more than five years for whatever reason get automatically cancelled, preventing their misuse.
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