U.S. resumes student visa appointments: AIT

Taipei, June 20 (CNA) The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) announced Friday it has resumed accepting student visa (F, J, M) appointment bookings after they were suspended in May.

To accommodate applications for students with Fall semester start dates, AIT is also increasing the number of F, J, and M visa appointments, the de facto U.S. embassy said in statement.

Applicants are encouraged to regularly check appointment availability on AIT's official visa website.

AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

The move follows last month's suspension of student visa appointments, which U.S. officials described as part of a broader effort targeting universities allegedly linked to antisemitism and other national security concerns, according to The Washington Post.

As part of updated procedures, AIT said that all student visa applicants must set their social media accounts to "public" to facilitate identity and admissibility checks under U.S. law.

Meanwhile, AIT said other travelers requiring visa appointment should expect a short-term increase in wait times during the summer.

It therefore "strongly encourages" travelers to check whether they are eligible to visit the U.S. without a visa through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Program.