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Question about landing in Vancouver and SIN number

ybjianada

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Sep 6, 2015
448
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Singapore
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App. Filed.......
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20-01-2016
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Passed on 24-01-2016
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VISA ISSUED...
23-12-2016
Hi,

I landed in Vancouver yesterday. There has been some hiccups, however, which seriously made me wish I had landed in Toronto instead.

But in this post, I will just talk and ask about the issuance of Social Insurance Number.

According to the Welcome to Canada – What you should know booklet, we should apply for the SIN number "as soon as possible after arriving in Canada" (page14). At the airport's welcome newcomers' counter, I asked if I could get my SIN at the airport (since I had read about people getting their SIN at the airport). I was told that this is only possible in Toronto, and that I have to go to a Service Canada Centre in Vancouver. Fine. So I went to a Service Canad Centre this morning. I had read on the CIC website that SIN is generated on the spot.

To my greatest surprise (and great annoyance), the Service Canada officer told me that my profile at CIC is being 'flagged' and that a SIN cannot be issued to me on the spot. Instead, what he did was to ask me to complete a paper application for SIN, and he would forward it to SIR (social insurance registry) who in turn will ask CIC to give them the green light to the issuance of my SIN. At that point, my SIN will be mailed to me. This of course will cause me a lot of problems since I am doing just a short landing, and all I could give them was my hotel address! The Service Canada officer asked me to update my Canadian mailing address as soon as is possible.

Upon reaching my hotel, I called CIC immediately. The agent, before I gave her my CIC application details, told me that generally newcomers have to wait around 3 business days before their profile is finalized and complete, and then SIN can be generated for them. She said she was surprised that the Service Canada officer did not explain this to me. My question is: Is this true for other new immigrants who landed in Vancouver?? I had not read about this anywhere in CIC's website (that you have to wait a certain amount of time before applying for SIN).

The agent then checked my CIC application and put me on hold, at one point asking if I now have 2 or 1 copies of COPR (I responded with "1"). In the end, she said she did not know what might be the issue, but that it takes time to finalize the information. She asked me to check back in about 6 business days.
 

andy6835

Hero Member
Jul 30, 2014
321
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USA
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ybjianada said:
Hi,

I landed in Vancouver yesterday. There has been some hiccups, however, which seriously made me wish I had landed in Toronto instead.

But in this post, I will just talk and ask about the issuance of Social Insurance Number.

According to the Welcome to Canada – What you should know booklet, we should apply for the SIN number "as soon as possible after arriving in Canada" (page14). At the airport's welcome newcomers' counter, I asked if I could get my SIN at the airport (since I had read about people getting their SIN at the airport). I was told that this is only possible in Toronto, and that I have to go to a Service Canada Centre in Vancouver. Fine. So I went to a Service Canad Centre this morning. I had read on the CIC website that SIN is generated on the spot.

To my greatest surprise (and great annoyance), the Service Canada officer told me that my profile at CIC is being 'flagged' and that a SIN cannot be issued to me on the spot. Instead, what he did was to ask me to complete a paper application for SIN, and he would forward it to SIR (social insurance registry) who in turn will ask CIC to give them the green light to the issuance of my SIN. At that point, my SIN will be mailed to me. This of course will cause me a lot of problems since I am doing just a short landing, and all I could give them was my hotel address! The Service Canada officer asked me to update my Canadian mailing address as soon as is possible.

Upon reaching my hotel, I called CIC immediately. The agent, before I gave her my CIC application details, told me that generally newcomers have to wait around 3 business days before their profile is finalized and complete, and then SIN can be generated for them. She said she was surprised that the Service Canada officer did not explain this to me. My question is: Is this true for other new immigrants who landed in Vancouver?? I had not read about this anywhere in CIC's website (that you have to wait a certain amount of time before applying for SIN).

The agent then checked my CIC application and put me on hold, at one point asking if I now have 2 or 1 copies of COPR (I responded with "1"). In the end, she said she did not know what might be the issue, but that it takes time to finalize the information. She asked me to check back in about 6 business days.
This doesnt sounds right.
. I landed at small checkpost in the afternoon & next day morning by 10 am I applied for SIN at service canada center with COPR letter and was given SIN print outs within 10 minutes.
 

pie_vancouver

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2014
963
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Vancouver
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Manila
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Why do you need SIN if you are just doing short landing? Apply when you get back.
 

ozlis

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Oct 20, 2015
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If it is a CIC system issue, the answer would likely have been the same regardless where you landed.

Getting your SIN early on is handy, but certainly nothing to get too worried about. Do it when you come back, prior to starting work.
 

DirectEnergy

Star Member
Dec 2, 2012
96
14
ybjianada said:
There has been some hiccups,
To my greatest surprise (and great annoyance), the Service Canada officer told me that my profile at CIC is being 'flagged'
She said she was surprised that the Service Canada officer did not explain this to me.
In the end, she said she did not know what might be the issue,
Welcome to Canada, friend! ;D
Please share your further experiences.
 

ybjianada

Hero Member
Sep 6, 2015
448
132
Category........
Visa Office......
Singapore
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-01-2016
AOR Received.
20-01-2016
Med's Done....
Passed on 24-01-2016
Passport Req..
06-12-2016
VISA ISSUED...
23-12-2016
Apparently, a few others have encountered the same problem:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/landed-but-still-cant-get-sin-number-t420170.0.html

It seems that the problem was caused by the immigration officer during the landing process.
I subsequently went back to CBSA at the airport. The problem was uncovered: whoever did my landing did not click the "Confirm" button in the system. The problem was then fixed.
However, I was told by Service Canada and SIR the next day that the referral for my SIN application was irreversible. This means that even though my profile is now complete, the paper application must run its course (which means a wait of 4-5 weeks).
How lucky!!!!


andy6835 said:
This doesnt sounds right.
. I landed at small checkpost in the afternoon & next day morning by 10 am I applied for SIN at service canada center with COPR letter and was given SIN print outs within 10 minutes.
 

ybjianada

Hero Member
Sep 6, 2015
448
132
Category........
Visa Office......
Singapore
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-01-2016
AOR Received.
20-01-2016
Med's Done....
Passed on 24-01-2016
Passport Req..
06-12-2016
VISA ISSUED...
23-12-2016
It turned out not to be a CIC issue. Rather it was a CBSA issue (Canada Border Services Agency). CBSA is responsible for landing immigrants.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/landed-but-still-cant-get-sin-number-t420170.0.html
I went back to the airport to have the problem fixed. It turned out that whoever did my landing forgot to click the "Confirm" button in the system.
How very lucky!!



ozlis said:
If it is a CIC system issue, the answer would likely have been the same regardless where you landed.

Getting your SIN early on is handy, but certainly nothing to get too worried about. Do it when you come back, prior to starting work.
 

vkumar7077

Star Member
Jun 30, 2017
192
50
Soft landing in Vancouver vs soft landing in Toronto , suggestions pls? I live in Seattle , so it is economical to land in Vancouver.

Also , Can SIN be generated at Airport in Vancover?
Can we apply for PR card at airport? Is so , Can I return the same day back to US?
Can I land in Vancouver and give Toronto address for my PR card delivery?

Pls advice
 

vkumar7077

Star Member
Jun 30, 2017
192
50
Why don't you go to a land border? No need to go to Toronto for sure.
Arent there any advantages landing at airport vs border landing?
I thought we can apply for SIN and PR card at airport.
Also is there any specific timings to do border landing?
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,959
12,759
Not really any advantage. If you have a car much less expensive to go to the land border. After landing you would have to go to Surrey (or any other location) and visit a Service Canada location to get your SIN card.
 
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Binabik

Star Member
Aug 15, 2017
159
53
Canada
If you land by car there is a Service Canada office in Surrey (103-15295 Highway 10) where you can get your SIN card, it is just a ~15 minutes drive from the border. This said you can also wait to be in Toronto
 
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vkumar7077

Star Member
Jun 30, 2017
192
50
If you land by car there is a Service Canada office in Surrey (103-15295 Highway 10) where you can get your SIN card, it is just a ~15 minutes drive from the border. This said you can also wait to be in Toronto
Thanks, My Car is still under Honda financing. Should the financing be cleared for me to cross the border for soft landing? Anyone knows pls?