US Student Visa Interview in Taiwan: Consulates, Wait Times, and Refusal Reasons
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jul 26, 2026
Taiwan has no US embassy, so F-1 interviews go through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and most refusals come down to weak proof of ties to Taiwan or unclear study plans.
🛂 AIT in Taipei, with a branch office in Kaohsiung, handles US visa services in place of an embassy.
📩 Apply for your interview only after you have Form I-20 and have paid the SEVIS fee.
⏱️ Book your slot as soon as you can, since interview availability changes through the year.
💵 A refusal under section 214(b) means you did not show strong enough ties to Taiwan, not that you did something wrong.
Where Taiwanese applicants apply
The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, so there is no US embassy or consulate on the island. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) operates instead, functioning as the de facto embassy and handling visa services out of its main office in Taipei, with a branch office in Kaohsiung. For F-1 visa purposes, treat AIT exactly as you would a US embassy in any other country: it issues visas, conducts interviews, and follows the same federal rules as consular posts elsewhere.
Before you can book an interview
You need three things in hand before AIT will interview you: an admission offer, Form I-20 issued by your school's international student office, and proof you paid the SEVIS I-901 fee. Complete the DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application first, and keep the confirmation page, since you need it to schedule your appointment. Full current steps and required documents are listed on the State Department's student visa page , which is worth reading in full before you book, since procedures get updated.
What to bring to the interview
Your passport, valid well beyond your planned stay.
Form I-20, signed by you and your school's designated school official (DSO), the staff member authorized to manage your student record.
Your DS-160 confirmation page and SEVIS fee receipt.
Proof of funds to cover at least your first year of tuition and living costs, such as bank statements or a sponsor's affidavit.
Academic documents: transcripts, test scores, and your admission letter.
Evidence of ties to Taiwan: family, property, a job offer to return to, or enrollment plans that show you intend to complete your program and go home afterward.
What happens at the AIT interview
Arrive early, since AIT screens bags and electronics at the entrance and space inside is limited. The interview itself is usually short, often only a few minutes, and conducted in English by a US consular officer who has your DS-160 and documents already on screen. Answer directly and briefly. Officers interview a high volume of applicants each day and form a quick judgment, so a clear, confident answer about your major, your school choice, and your plan after graduation matters more than a long explanation.
Vetting and screening
US visa screening, including any review of an applicant's online presence, has changed more than once in recent years and continues to be adjusted at the federal level. As of August 2026, treat your public social media accounts the way you would treat any official document: accurate, consistent with what you tell the officer, and free of anything that contradicts your stated study plans. Check the current DS-160 instructions and the State Department's student visa page close to your application date, since specific screening steps and required disclosures have been updated before and can change again without much notice.
Wait times
Interview wait times at AIT change through the year, often getting longer close to the peak fall-intake booking season in summer. Check current appointment availability directly through the visa application system linked from the State Department's student visa page rather than relying on a fixed number, since wait times shift without notice. Book as soon as you have your I-20, since F-1 applicants can interview up to 365 days before their program start date but should not travel to the US more than 30 days before that date.
Why applications get refused
Most F-1 refusals worldwide, including at AIT, cite section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This is not a judgment about your character. It means the officer was not convinced, in a short interview, that you plan to return to Taiwan after your studies and that your plans genuinely support a temporary stay. Common patterns behind a 214(b) refusal include:
Vague or memorized answers about your chosen major or why you picked a specific school.
Financial documents that do not clearly connect to you or your sponsor, or that appear freshly deposited right before the interview.
Weak or unclear ties to Taiwan, such as no concrete plan for what you will do after graduation.
Answers in the interview that do not match the documents you submitted.
Preparing for a second attempt
You can reapply after a 214(b) refusal, and there is no mandatory waiting period, but reapplying with the same weak case tends to produce the same result. Before you try again, identify the specific gap the officer likely saw: unclear financial proof, a shaky answer about your plans, or thin ties to home. Strengthen that exact point with new, concrete documents, practice clear and direct answers about your major and post-graduation plans, and bring updated evidence rather than repeating the same file.
There is no formal appeal for a 214(b) refusal. Your only path forward is a new application with a new fee and a new DS-160, so treat the second attempt as a fresh case rather than a continuation of the first, and pay the SEVIS fee again only if your school tells you to, since it sometimes remains valid within the same program dates.
The role of your school's DSO
Your designated school official, or DSO, is the staff member at your US school authorized to issue and sign your Form I-20 and manage your SEVIS record. Contact your DSO, not only the consulate, if your interview does not go as planned, since a DSO can sometimes clarify your I-20 or program details directly to help a second attempt succeed. Keep your DSO's contact details with your travel documents. You will need them again at the port of entry and throughout your studies for anything involving your visa status.
After the visa is approved
A visa in your passport is not a guarantee of entry. A Customs and Border Protection officer at the US port of entry makes the final admission decision and checks that your program starts within 30 days and that your I-20 carries a valid travel signature from your DSO, dated within the last year for a continuing student or issued recently for a new one. Carry your I-20, admission letter, and financial documents in your hand luggage, not checked baggage, in case the officer asks to see them.