A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is personal information. Your SIN is not a piece of identification. It is a client account number for specific Government of Canada programs such as Employment Insurance or the Canada Pension Plan.
Your SIN should not be shared.
For example, you do not need to give your SIN when applying to rent an apartment, or for most banking (e.g., opening a new account, or arranging loans, mortgages or lines of credit).
If an organization refuses to give you its product or service unless you provide your SIN, you can complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, who will investigate.
International students may get a SIN letter by applying in-person at a Service Canada Centre. Some students have a temporary "tax file number" that they have been given in place of a Social Insurance Number for taxation purposes - this is NOT the same as a SIN and you can not use it for employment purposes.
If your SIN has expired, you can still use this number to fill out your tax forms, but you need to get a new card before you can work. Your number remains the same.
You need to apply in person for a SIN card at the Service Canada Offices downtown Windsor:
Service Canada Offices
400 City Hall Square East
Suite 103
Windsor, Ontario
Phone: (800) 622-6232
Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
You need to bring with you:
- Your passport
- Have a letter of confirmation of enrolment from the University. You can get this letter online from UWinsite Student.
- A valid Study Permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. A study permit is acceptable only when it indicates that the permit holder “may accept employment” or “may work” in Canada.
NOTE:
You must have one of the following conditions or remarks printed on your study permit in order to apply for a SIN for off-campus work:
- May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186 (v) of IRPR.
- May accept employment on or off-campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186 (f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.
If your study permit does not have one of the above conditions or remarks, you must submit a request for an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN. There is no fee for this request.