No, you can do it in the SC offices as well. I needed to get it ASAP, that's why I applied in person. Since when I don't know. Anyway, SIN is not an issue to discuss here, I just wanted to tell you my personal experience in SC office (Toronto). They only let 5 ppl inside and each person needs to be checked for Covid before going to the office. CERB is going to end next month and lots of ppl are going to apply for EI, which makes it much more difficult for SC to prioritize Biometrics. As long as you're an applicant based in Toronto, don't expect a call from SC in the near future.