TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's education authorities are moving swiftly to address potential disruptions for students caught in the crosshairs of new U.S. visa restrictions. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) told lawmakers on Wednesday (May 28) that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT, 美國在台協會) — the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan — has not received directives regarding the Trump administration's pause on new student visa interviews.
Taiwan's Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) — the government agency overseeing educational policies — has initiated discussions with local universities about creating dual-degree pathways for students affected by the visa changes. Minister Cheng praised the caliber of Harvard students, noting their exceptional abilities would make transitioning to Taiwanese institutions seamless. The education minister pledged ongoing coordination with American officials to minimize disruptions to students' academic trajectories and encouraged Taiwan's premier universities to actively recruit displaced Harvard scholars.
The issue has generated rare cross-party consensus within Taiwan's Legislative Yuan — the island's parliament. Representatives from all three major political parties voiced concerns about the policy's implications for Taiwanese students. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislator Chen Hsiu-pao (陳秀寶), Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞), and Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 台灣民眾黨) legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬) collectively pressed for governmental action to protect students' educational opportunities.
The diplomatic tensions have created an unexpected opportunity for Asian universities seeking to attract top academic talent. Following the Trump administration's decision to strip Harvard University of its authorization to enroll international students, institutions across East Asia — including those in Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau — have quickly extended enrollment offers to displaced Harvard students. Taiwanese legislators argued that the island's prestigious universities should aggressively compete to recruit these scholars, positioning Taiwan as an attractive alternative destination for academic excellence.
The full scope and implementation timeline of the new restrictions remain ambiguous, according to reporting by Politico, a prominent American political news organization. The publication referenced an internal diplomatic telegram bearing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's signature, which revealed that U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide have been instructed to suspend scheduling new student visa interviews. The directive reportedly introduces enhanced vetting procedures, including mandatory social media screening for all foreign student applicants, though specific protocols for this expanded surveillance mechanism have not been clearly articulated to consular officials. ◼
