Apply for a U.S. Visa

All receipts for payment of Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fees issued before October 1, 2022, will expire September 30, 2023. There will be no extensions of fee validity. Applicants must schedule an appointment or submit an interview waiver application before September 30, 2023 to avoid paying a new fee. Please note that the interview itself does not need to take place before September 30, 2023, but an interview appointment needs to be made in the system, even if it is scheduled months into the future. Furthermore, applicants using MRV fees paid before October 1, 2022 to book an appointment are cautioned not to attempt to change their appointment dates on or after October 1, 2023. Doing so will result in forfeiture of both the original appointment slot and the MRV fee receipt. The applicant will be required to pay a new fee and submit a new application package.

Click here for the latest U.S. Visa News (Department of State’s website).

Effective February 1, 2022, Pick-up/Drop off at courier locations and Delivery service of your passport/documents will change. For detailed information, please click here.

Select here to learn more about certain individual petition-based visa applicants who are now eligible for waiver of interview.

On October 25, President Biden announced a Presidential Proclamation titled “A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This proclamation, which took effect at 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on November 8, 2021, ended the travel restrictions under Presidential Proclamations (P.P.) 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199 as they relate to the suspension of entry into the United States of persons physically present in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In place of these restrictions, the President announced a global vaccination requirement for all adult foreign national travelers. More information about this global vaccination requirement, including details on exceptions and waivers due to humanitarian concerns, is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

The Department of State (the Department) has waived, through December 31, 2022, the in-person interview requirement for F, M, and J visa applicants qualifying as secondary and university students, professors, research scholars, short-term scholars, or specialists (“academic J visa applicants”) who were previously issued any class of visa, subject to certain conditions. 

The Department has also waived the in-person interview requirement for first-time F, M, and academic J visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) participating countries, subject to some limitations. 

The Department has also exempted from the requirement for collecting fingerprints, through the end of 2022, first-time F, M, and academic J visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of VWP participating countries who qualify for this proposed interview waiver. 

Subject to some limitations.  Please see details on Interview Waiver page to determine whether you qualify.  Consular officers may still interview applicants for any reason.  Click here for FAQs.

Secretary Blinken, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. Previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 24 months were eligible for an interview waiver. The Secretary has temporarily extended the expiration period to 48 months. This policy is in effect until December 31, 2022. This change will allow consular officers to continue processing certain nonimmigrant visa applications while limiting the number of applicants who must appear at a consular section, thereby reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission to other applicants and consular staff. Travelers are encouraged to review the website of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for detailed information on what services are currently available as well as eligibility information and instructions on applying for a visa without an interview.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all air passengers entering the United States to present a negative COVID-19 test (a viral detection test for SARS-CoV- 2 approved or authorized by the relevant national authority), taken within 1 day of departure. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding. ​Airlines must deny boarding of passengers if they do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery. This requirement is separate from the visa application process. All Presidential Proclamations restricting travel due to COVID-19 remain in place, and continue to apply to subject potential travelers regardless of their test results or vaccination status. Travelers holding a National Interest Exception also remain subject to all applicable pre-departure testing requirements. For more information on waivers to the testing requirement please click here. Additionally, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or believe you may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you are strongly encouraged to postpone your travel.

AIT will change its consular exchange rate from US$1=NT$29 to US$1=NT$30 effective April 25, 2022.

All applicants for nonimmigrant visas who pay the visa processing fee on or after April 25 must pay at the new exchange rate.

Applicants who paid the visa processing fee at the previous exchange rate on or before April 24 may still use their receipt within one year.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) understands that many visa applicants have paid the visa application processing fee and are still waiting to schedule a visa appointment. We are working diligently to restore all routine visa operations as quickly and safely as possible. In the meantime, rest assured that AIT will extend the validity of your payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2023, to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa appointment with the already paid fee.

To facilitate your interview process at AIT, please print out and bring both your appointment confirmation and DS-160 confirmation to your interview.  Please make sure the printed bar codes are clear.  Incomplete, incorrect, or unclear barcodes will NOT be accepted and will result in cancellation of your appointment.

As of Wednesday, July 15, 2020 AIT Taipei has resumed routine visa services in all visa categories. If you have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, you may follow the guidance provided at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/tw/tw-niv-expeditedappointment.asp to request an emergency appointment.

Please note: Individuals coming to AIT for consular services are now required to bring and wear protective masks. You will not be allowed entry without a mask. Additionally, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or believe you may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you are strongly encouraged to postpone your appointment.

Taiwan has implemented temporary measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. Travelers with certain travel may be prohibited from entering Taiwan or subject to quarantine upon entry. In accordance with Taiwan regulations, any applicant who is subject to home quarantine will not be allowed to enter AIT. Please schedule visa appointments accordingly. For the latest updates on Taiwan’s home quarantine requirements, please monitor the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control website and the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bureau of Consular Affairs website.