How To Apply For SIN Number Online – International Experience Canada
Updated: 20th January 2026 By Lauren
Home » Blog » North America » Canada »Recently I arrived in Canada on my International Experience Canada (IEC – Working Holiday Visa) and I decided to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) Online. Overall I found it to be very quick and easy and so I have detailed the process here. This article will be helpful for anyone who is interested in following the SIN online application process once you arrive in Canada with your Work Permit.
Getting a SIN number is an important first step upon arriving in Canada for your International Experience Canada. The SIN is a requirement for working in Canada and filing taxes, so if you plan to get a job in Canada you’ll want to apply for a SIN as soon as possible so you can begin working right away.
Here is a step by step guide on how to apply for a SIN number online for your International Experience Canada.
Please note that you have to have already arrived in Canada and received your Work Permit in order to apply for a SIN number online.
Applying For SIN Number Online In Canada For IEC Work Permit
Step By Step Guide On How To Apply For A SIN Number Online In Canada
Here is a step by step guide on how to apply for a SIN number online for your International Experience Canada.
Step 1 – Complete Online Application Form To Apply For SIN
To apply online, go to the Government of Canada website: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html
Follow the steps to apply for your SIN number. You need to complete an online form with personal information (name, date of birth, parents birth names) and upload a scan of your Work Permit and Passport. I used a phone app called CamScanner to take a photo of my documents and make them into ‘scans’.
An address needs to be provided in your application. This can be tricky when you first arrive on International Experience Canada, because you may have a temporary address or be staying somewhere like a hotel or AirBnB. BUT thankfully you can select to receive the SIN digitally only OR digitally and by post. I selected digital only, as I don’t want to get any letters. So, a temporary address should be fine, but remember the address you used as you need part of it later in step 3.
Completing the form will take no more than 5 minutes. Once submitted, you will receive an email ‘confirmation of application received’, with an application number for your records.
Step 2 – SIN Application Processing
* wait patiently and enjoy your days 🌞*
Step 3 – SIN Issued Online! Register With My Service Canada To View SIN
You will receive an email stating ‘application processed’. Your SIN number has been issued!
To view the SIN number, you will need to register with My Service Canada. This step takes about 10 minutes, as there are quite a few parts to it. But overall, it is a very quick and easy process.
To create an account, you will need to do the following steps:
- Click the link in the email and then the green button to register with My Service Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account.html
- Select ‘Sign in using GCKey username and password’. This is the same login information you created when applying for IEC with IRCC.
- Confirm the T&C’s.
- Confirm your identity using your UCI (Unique Client Identifier) number provided by IRCC (located on your Port of Entry letter in the top left corner) and your SIN application number (in the email received when you applied for your SIN).
- Complete the registration form with personal information. You will need to put in your name, date of birth, parents birth surnames, province of the address you applied with in Step 1.
- Create answers to 5 different security questions.
- Setup two factor authentication. There are multiple options including phone text, voice or passcode grid. I chose a passcode grid just in case I lose my phone number. If you choose the grid, remember to save your grid as it is unique to you only. For example, you can take a screenshot and email it to yourself.
- Sign in using your two factor authentication.
- View My Service Canada Dashboard! From there, you can scroll down to view your Social Insurance Number.
SIN Number Validity & Expiry Date
Your SIN number will begin with a number ‘9’ which means it is a temporary SIN. A temporary SIN is issued to temporary residents, including those on IEC with a Work Permit.
You can begin using your SIN immediately!
Your SIN number will be valid for the length of your Work Permit, so if your work permit is valid for 2 years so will your SIN number. They will have matching expiry dates.
If you get another work permit after you initial one expires, you can request Service Canada to update the expiry date of your SIN number so you can continue using it.
Service Canada Centre vs Online SIN Application
Most people arriving on International Experience Canada seem to go to the Service Canada Centre to apply for a SIN, but this can result in long wait times.
Service Canada Centre’s are used for many government services by Canadians, so there’s always a lot of people waiting for different things.
When I arrived in Calgary on my IEC and got my Work Permit issued at airport immigration, I went to the Service Canada Centre the very next day. Unfortunately, there was a huge line out the door and a full waiting room. It was a weekday afternoon in early October. The staff advised me that it would be a 3 hour wait! I was shocked and I didn’t want to waste my time sitting in a queue all day when I could be out exploring or getting my other important arrival errands done!
I figured there must be a better way, and discovered I could apply for a SIN online. However, I struggled to find information about the process, as in forums and blogs everyone said to go to the Service Canada Centre. To apply online, I was not sure how long it would take, and what information I would need to apply.
Regardless, I went via the route to apply online for my SIN, thinking at least if I do it, then I can share the process with others online via this blog!
In the end I am glad that I took the online route because the process was very straightforward, it was relatively quick and I didn’t have to wait in a line!
After going through the process myself, I can assure you it is a very fast and easy process, and I think more IEC partcipants should apply for a SIN online.
How Long It Takes To Get A SIN
If you do go to the Service Canada Centre to get your SIN, it will be issued to you immediately after meeting with the clerk (showing your documents and applying at the desk). However, the timeline for applying online is pretty quick too – my SIN was issued in 1 working day! Then it took about 10 mins to setup a My Service Canada account to view my SIN.
After submitting my online application (5 mins process) and waiting for my SIN number to be issued, I had time to get other errands done, for example setting up my Canadian Bank Account and updating my CV to Canadian format!
Doing it online saves time travelling to the Service Canada Centre and potentially waiting for hours in a queue.
Timeline Of My Experience Applying For A SIN Number Online
Arrival in Canada: Thursday 10th October
Application submitted: Saturday 12th October 17:40
Application processed: Wednesday 16th October 00:55
It was the weekend when I applied and then Monday 14th October was Canadian Thanksgiving (a public holiday)… so my application was basically processed in 1 working day.
Summary On Applying For SIN Online
I found the whole process of applying for my SIN Number online to be very easy and straightforward. I would highly recommend to apply for your SIN Online if you don’t want to travel to or wait in line at the Service Canada Centre!
Thanks For Reading! – How To Apply For SIN Online – International Experience Canada
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Lauren | Wild Lovely World
Lauren is a travel writer from the U.K., specialising in travelling on a budget as a solo female and in a couple. She moved to Australia solo at age 19 and has since lived in 7 different countries around the world, including teaching English in Japan, living in a campervan in New Zealand and hiking all across Scotland. Her style is travelling slow and she is an expert on moving abroad and long-term travel. She’s on a mission to inspire adventure and show you how to travel for longer, for cheaper and have more authentic travel experiences.
