Dear Students, Please be advised that Wong International Center is no longer able to provide its address for students’ mail starting 1st September 2013 due to the increasing volume of mail that has been received. International students MUST use their own apartment address or rent a mailbox at Acadia Student Union Building (SUB) . For renting the mailbox, please see information from the link below: ASU mailbox rental

This mailbox is accessible all summer.  Rent one now before you leave as there are a limited number of mailboxes available and you will need one if you want to have a permanent address at Acadia

We encourage students who are currently using the Center’s address for mailing address to update their mailing address as soon as possible to their families, friends, local banks, or other institutions that might need it. All mail will be returned to sender in September .

 If you have applied to renew your study permit or to extend your visa and have used the Wong International Centre as your address do not worry.  We will accept mail from Citizenship and Immigration until September.  However after September you must give Citizenship and Immigration a new address when you apply for renewal.

MAIL PICK UP TIMES for the Month of April

• Monday: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday:  1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Friday: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY (also known as CRA) is a Canadian federal agency that administers tax laws for the Government of Canada.

If you are an international student studying in Canada, you may have to file a Canadian income tax return. 

International Students are encouraged to file tax returns while in Canada. There are a number of benefits for international students associated with filing:

• Required in order for you to continue receiving your quarterly GST/HST credit money
• Tuition paid while you are studying creates tax credits you can use against futrue income
• For students who are working, you may even receive a tax refund

HOW TO FILE A TAX RETURN

To file a return, students should have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) or an Individual Tax Number (ITN). International students are encouraged however to file using a SIN.

INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR AREA

SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER (SIN)

The SIN is a nine-digit number that you must have in order to work in Canada.  To apply for a SIN you must provide original primary documents - your passport, Study Permit, and Work Permit (if applicable).

The SIN application form and instructions (NAS2120 05-05) are available online. You must apply for a SIN in person. The clsoet Service Canada Centre is located in Kentville at:

Kentville Service Canada Centre

Federal Building, Floor 2
495 Main Street
Kentville, Nova Scotia

STUDYING IN CANADA

Are you an international student studying in Canada?

For income tax purposes, international students studying in Canada are considered to be one of the following types of residents:

• resident (includes students who reside in Canada only part of the year);
• non-resident;
• deemed resident; or
• deemed non-resident.

International Tax Services Offices

GST-HST TAX CREDIT

Government Sales Tax (GST) amd Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)

When purchasing goods or services in Canada you are often charged an additional amount on top of the cost of the items you are purchasing. This additional charge is GST/HST (Sales Tax).

GST is a tax that you pay on most goods and services sold or provided in Canada. In some provinces, the GST has been harmonized with the provincial sales tax and is called the harmonized sales tax (HST). In Nova Scotia, the combined HST is 15%.

Following is a Power Point Presentation entitled "Pointers for Success at Acadia and Beyond" by Professors Connie Foote and Yinglei Wang. Please look through this valuable presentation:

International Student Orientation 2012

There are a number of clubs and activities for you to get involved with right here on campus!

Here are just a few links to some clubs, volunteer activities and the Acadia

Athletic Complex

http://www.theasu.ca/

http://www.theasu.ca/volunteeracadia.htm

http://smile.acadiau.ca/home.html

http://fitness.acadiau.ca/

http://www.theasu.ca/clubs.htm

http://clubs.acadiau.ca/chinese/mainwindow.htm

http://clubs.acadiau.ca/martialarts/Karate.htm

http://clubs.acadiau.ca/spanish/

http://clubs.acadiau.ca/amnesty/index.htm

http://chemistry.acadiau.ca/chemclub.html

Results for the annual Acadia Wong International Centre and ASU Centre for Global Education photo contest are in! Acadia students, staff and alumni submitted 145 photos to the 4 contest categories. Staff and students cast 685 votes in support of the photos that were on display at the Vaughan Memorial Library  and Sheldon L. Fountain Commons.

Winning photos for each category are highlighted here: