If you’d like to get a SIN number for baby girls and boys born in Canada, you’d have to use the Newborn Registration Service. But if you’ve been hearing about the term SIN and don’t know what it is, it is the Social Insurance Number (SIN) that allows your baby to enjoy government benefits and register for government programs.
Before your baby is born, the Canadian government will enable you to enjoy its programs and services to help you welcome your child. Such benefits include Maternity and Parental Leave. This program is under the Employment Insurance (E.I.). It allows you to enjoy maternity and parental benefits during your pregnancy, and after the delivery of your child.
Some of the programs your child can enjoy are:
- Canada Learning Bond
- Registered Education Savings Plan
- Canada Education Savings Grant
The programs above are under the Registered Education Savings Plan, a program that allows you to save money for your child to go to a higher institution.
On top of that, you can also apply for your Canada Child Benefits while you’re figuring out how to register your child’s SIN.
Once upon a time, I didn’t know how to get a SIN for my child. Today, you’re going to learn the steps without making my mistakes. The first thing to do is to ensure you have your social insurance number.
If you don’t, then you’d have to know how to find your social insurance number online by applying at Service Canada. But before that, you have to be a citizen of Canada. You’re also eligible as a permanent resident. But if you’re neither, you may have to apply for your child’s SIN by visiting the Service Canada Office closest to you.
Once you apply through the NRS, you can expect to receive the SIN of your baby around ten business days from the date the province processed your application.
Note that the NRS is only available in the Canadian provinces. If you’re a parent living in the territories, you can check out this section to know the steps to take before you apply.
When I was trying to figure out how to apply for SIN number for baby no.2 in my household, I realized applying for a SIN wasn’t mandatory. It may seem hard to believe, but applying for your baby’s SIN is a choice. But it’s a choice you’ll do well to accept because of the many benefits and programs your child stands to gain by having a SIN. And when your kid is all grown up, they’ll need it to pay their taxes and qualify for a job.
Not that it’s within my power to disapprove, but I find it disconcerting only the parents of a child can apply for a SIN. Service Canada addresses this drawback by allowing individuals other than parents to apply for a child’s SIN. But you’d have to schedule an in-person visit to qualify. You’re not going to be charged for a first-time SIN application.
I know you think this is the end – and I wish I could tell you it is, but there are other essential identifications you need for your newborn. They include:
- Health Insurance and Birth Registration
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
Health Instance and Birth Registration
As with most newborns, a baby’s paperwork project begins at the hospital grounds. If you deliver your child at home, then you’d have to talk to your midwife. The first paperwork your baby needs upon its arrival into Canada is a health insurance number.
Once you complete the registration form, your child will be given a number. You’ll receive the card from your provincial provider by mail in a matter of weeks.
The next step is to register the birth of your child, which must be completed in 30 days – depending on where you reside. It is this document that serves as the legal identity of your newborn. The information contains forms the basis of your child’s birth certificate. You must forward this form to the vital statistics office nearest to you.
Filling the paperwork work varies from province to province. If you live in Ontario or British Columbia, you can submit all your paperwork online. Filling and submitting your application online ensures a faster turnaround time. You don’t have to pay any fee to register a birth.
Birth Certificate
Once you register the birth of your baby, you can proceed to apply for the birth certificate. Birth certificates are available in the long and short forms. The former contains all the information in the latter.
This info includes the full names of the parents as well as their birthplaces. Government agencies like Passport Canada prefer this version. Ensure to write out your complete home addresses instead of a P.O. Box.
Passport
It just might happen your baby might need to travel outside Canada. Passports for children under the age of three costs around C$22. Your child can use this document for up to three years. But before you apply, you’d need proof of parentage and a birth certificate.
If your kid were adopted, you’d need an Order of Adoption, and a photo of your adopted child. A guarantor must sign the picture and must be known to your family for not less than two years. For related information, find out what to do if you ever forget your SIN number.
