http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/common/news/insur/030321.shtml
Changes to Employment Insurance (EI) Regulations to introduce expiry dates on 900-series Social Insurance Numbers
March 21, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03-15
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) announced today changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) Regulations to introduce expiry dates on all 900-series Social Insurance Numbers (SINs). Starting March 30, 2003, these SINs will be valid until the end of the person's authorized stay in Canada to a maximum of five years.
Existing 900-series SIN holders have one year to reapply. They will keep the same number but they will receive a new card with an expiry date.
This measure will help to strengthen the integrity of the SIN.
SINs that begin with the number 9 are issued to individuals who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents, who need a SIN for employment purposes or to comply with other authorized uses, such as income tax filing. Holders of these SINs include temporary foreign workers and refugee claimants.
HRDC continues to work with other federal partners, such as the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, to ensure the integrity of the Social Insurance Number.
See attached backgrounder for more information on the 900-series SIN.
For more information on the Social Insurance Number program, visit the HRDC Web site at
www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/sin
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For more information:
Media Relations Office
Human Resources Development Canada
(819) 994-5559
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Backgrounder
Introduction of Expiry Dates on 900-series Social Insurance Numbers
Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) has amended the Employment Insurance Regulations to introduce expiry dates on all 900-series Social Insurance Numbers (SINs).
HRDC will start issuing 900-series SIN cards with expiry dates on March 30, 2003.
For those who already have a SIN card beginning with the number 9 and without an expiry date, they will have one year to reapply if they are going to require it, for employment purpose for example, after March 2004. To reapply, they will have to go to their Human Resources Canada Centre or call 1 800 206-7218 (service in English) or 1 800 808-6352 (service in French). They will keep the same number but they will receive a new card with an expiry date. People who do not reapply within this one-year period will see their SIN deactivated.
SINs that begin with the number 9 are issued to individuals who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents, who need a SIN for employment purposes or to comply with other authorized uses, such as income tax filing.
HRDC changed its regulations to further strengthen the integrity of the SIN program.
For these same reasons, HRDC reduced last October the number of acceptable proof of identity documents it accepts for SIN applications, and now accepts only original documents.
Before issuing a 900-series SIN, HRDC checks the validity of the identity documents provided to Citizenship and Immigration. The validity of documents is also checked to identify false or altered documents as part of the SIN application process.
HRDC has reviewed and has strengthened the 'proof of need' program. The Employment Insurance Act and Regulations state that any 900-series SIN applicant must prove the need for the number. Under the program, individuals must demonstrate a need for a SIN, such as for employment purposes. Those who cannot demonstrate such a need will not be issued a SIN.
Placing expiry dates on 900-series SINs and reducing the number of acceptable proof of identity documents are two measures that HRDC is taking to strengthen the integrity of the SIN program.