The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday confirmed that it is reviewing updated guidelines for student visa appointments and could resume interviews soon.
“AIT Consular Services is currently reviewing updated [US] Department of State guidance on student visa appointments, and we will open new appointment slots for student visas as soon as feasible based on the department guidance,” an AIT spokesperson said.
AIT represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
Photo: REUTERS
AIT’s confirmation followed Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) statement in the legislature earlier yesterday that AIT had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it could resume accepting new student visa appointments “in the coming days.”
According to a state department cable obtained by the Washington Post, the US is restarting student visa interviews and implementing stricter social media rules — including requiring applicants to make their accounts public so they could be reviewed for any signs of hostility toward the US.
The move follows last month’s suspension of student visa appointments, which US officials described as part of a broader effort targeting universities allegedly linked to antisemitism and other national security concerns, according to the Washington Post.
Lin at a legislative session in Taipei yesterday morning told lawmakers that the visa interview suspension applies only to new applicants.
The AIT is still conducting student visa interviews for applicants who scheduled appointments before the suspension was announced, he added.
About 10,000 Taiwanese students apply for US student visas each year, Lin said, adding that the ministry is in ongoing discussions with the AIT and officials in Washington to defend Taiwanese nationals’ right to education.
China has reserved offshore airspace in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. These alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (Notams), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert is
More than 6,000 Taiwanese students have participated in exchange programs in China over the past two years, despite the Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) “orange light” travel advisory, government records showed. The MAC’s publicly available registry showed that Taiwanese college and university students who went on exchange programs across the Strait numbered 3,592 and 2,966 people respectively. The National Immigration Agency data revealed that 2,296 and 2,551 Chinese students visited Taiwan for study in the same two years. A review of the Web sites of publicly-run universities and colleges showed that Taiwanese higher education institutions continued to recruit students for Chinese educational programs without
A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill to enhance cooperation with Taiwan on drone development and to reduce reliance on supply chains linked to China. The proposed Blue Skies for Taiwan Act of 2026 was introduced by Republican US senators Ted Cruz and John Curtis, and Democratic US senators Jeff Merkley and Andy Kim. The legislation seeks to ease constraints on Taiwan-US cooperation in uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), including dependence on China-sourced components, limited access to capital and regulatory barriers under US export controls, a news release issued by Cruz on Wednesday said. The bill would establish a "Blue UAS
The Republic of China Army Command yesterday relieved Kinmen Defense Battalion commander after authorities indicted the officer on charges connected to using methamphetamine. The Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday detained Colonel He (何) after the Coast Guard linked him to drug shipments and proceeded to charge him yesterday for using and possessing crystal meth. The man was released on a NT$50,000 bail and banned from leaving Kinmen, the office said. Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Chen Chien-yi (陳建義) told a news conference yesterday that He has been removed and another officer is taking over the unit as the acting commander. The military
RSS