JAJ

You don't have to give your SIN.

And they don't have to give you credit either.

chumley

I dont understand???

we are here as visitors and have had zero problems opening 4 canadian bank accounts ( like to spread the dosh around a bit )and also getting a credit card so you dont even need a SIN number or a job or any status other than being a visitor!

good luck all

fedup

as some people say in this thread that debts from the uk have followed is very unlikely, from a goverment agency regards child benefit or tax credits then yes but as for telephone companys/ electric providers etc then no, because bad debt doesnt find you when you apply for credit it follows you when you default on your repayments. no one knows where you have gone there is no public records that show you have left the country only goverment and no one has access to these due to the data protection act, if you have been followed to canada then you have told them of your own free will. basically you are starting a fresh line of credit with no credit history and no credit history is worse than bad credit history, even though experian is also a uk based company as well as in canada they cant cross ref data between the uk and canada due again to the data protection act, the deal someone else mentioned about canada and the uk having a deal this is for serious people who commit fraud ( bad debts is not fraud) . people you owe money to in the uk will file for default and this default will stay on your credit file for 6 years from the time of judgement ( please note some companys dont file for default for a few years ) then after the 6 years you can have any unpaid judgements removed from your credit file without paying them. hope this info helps.

lucieg

Just got my Canadian Amex card...took awhile mind you!

I gave them my sin card number starting with a 9 and it hasn't caused any problems

shelley748

Canadian Privacy laws are such that you do not have to give out your SIN number (unlike USA where you cannot go to bathroom without giving it!! Joke!!) UNLESS you are opening an interest bearing account,in which case you have to give it for tax reporting purposes.

Sometimes lenders will ask for a SIN only because you might have a name thats very popular and they want to make sure that they have the right Joe Brown for example.

The 9 in front of the SIN does raise a red flag to banks and each application is looked at on a case by case basis..

Hope that helps.

JonboyE

You have to give your SIN number to anyone that is paying you taxable income. In addition to banks you have to give your SIN number to an employer and the trustees of a trust in which you are allocated income.

AmyDavid

I just got a credit card without a sin number at all...