I recently found out that I need to obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to be paid in Canada. No one tells you this when you fill out your work permit application. I found it buried deep down in a Yahoo! Answers page when I asked about how on earth I wasn't able to download a work permit application form (more on that fun story here).
The Social Insurance Number is the Canadian Social Security Number.
Great. I have just danced a lovely dance with such a government agency once this summer. The Social Security office was my least favorite of all the offices.
So I prep. I know what documents I need, I know where the office is, I know what time it opens, and I am ready.
Max kindly agrees to go with me at 8 am for moral support.
We arrive at the office to find no line. There are about 6 people sitting in the lobby, but no one is standing in a line, no one is talking, no one smells unnecessarily, no one even looks the slightest bit unhappy.
What is this place.
We walk up to the front desk and I hand over my paperwork, I get entered into the queue (because it's queues here, not lines) and we go sit down.
Not even 20 minutes later, I'm called back to a desk. I once again present all of my paperwork and the nice gentleman tries too hard to converse and joke with us at 8:30 in the morning (remember, we're still unemployed and out of school -> 8:30 am is about 3 hours before when our day usually starts).
Next thing I know I'm handed a sheet of paper with my new SIN on it.
There were no numbers, no security guards, no lines, no bullet proof glass windows. Just friendliness and a clean environment.
You go, Canada.
