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AIT offers speedier visa applications

Beginning today, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is introducing a new appointment system for applicants for non-immigrant visas to the US, including tourist, business and student visas.

The system will replace the AIT's existing telephone appointment procedure, the institute's consular section chief, Keith Powell, announced yesterday.

The new system will allow each applicant to set a specific time for an application interview and offer assistance in completing the application form. It will allow the institute to handle visa applications more quickly, reducing the waiting period for the interview and the time needed to process an application, he said.

According to Powell, the new system conforms with the US' new biometric enrollment requirements, which will be implemented later this summer.

As part of the US' anti-terrorism campaign, the system of "biometric visas" has already been established in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries. It will come into effect in China this month. In Taiwan, the system will be in place in either August or September, Powell said.

"At that point, everyone coming to the AIT for their visa interview will have two fingers scanned into the system," he said.

As of today, everybody applying for non-immigrant visas must go to the Atos Origin Application Processing Center (APC), the AIT's new service provider, to make an appointment for a visa interview at the institute.

Both the visa application fee of NT$3,400, payable to Taiwan Post Office account number 19189005, and the service charge of NT$240, payable to Taiwan Post Office account number 19832104, must be paid before submitting the visa application to the APC.

The APC is at 6F, No. 6, Hsinyi Rd Sec 4, near the Ta-an MRT station in Taipei. Its business hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

After accepting the application for pre-processing, the APC will give each applicant an identification number so that he or she can make an appointment for an interview at the AIT.

An appointment can be made online at www.visaagent.com.tw or by telephone at (02) 2547-4898.

Applicants who live outside Taipei can visit the AIT Web site at www.ait.org.tw, which carries details on how to arrange a visit to the APC and the AIT on the same day.

Applicants who have already scheduled appointments through the old "caller-pay" telephone system for any date until April 2 are not affected.
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