The SIN Card
SIN card by Wikimedia Commons
All working Canadians must have a Social Insurance Number, also called a SIN card. This is the equivalent of a U.S. Social Security number. As soon as you arrive in Canada you should apply for a SIN card for yourself and for each of your family members. Find a Service Canada Centre in your city or region where you can apply for a SIN card.
Getting over the hurdle
The Social Insurance Number is a confidential number used to file an income tax return and to receive government benefits or allowances. When applying for credit products such as credit cards, loans, lines of credit and mortgages, you may be asked to give this number, but it’s an option, not mandatory. There are only a few federal government departments and programs specifically authorized to collect the SIN.
Canadian Job Listings
The Canadian government runs a nationwide Job Bank site that lists thousands of jobs in many different industries and regions.
Another government-run site, Working in Canada, enables you to search by profession and location to see both specific job postings and general information about the market for the type of job you’re seeking.
Other Canadian online job-posting sites that you’ll be familiar with from their U.S. equivalents include Workopolis, JobBoom, Monster.ca and HotJobs.ca. CareerClick.com links to newspaper classified ads nationwide.
