Starting on July 1, Taiwanese passport holders under the age of 14 will require a face-to-face interview with a US immigration officer when applying for a US visa, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said.
The announcement was posted on the official AIT Web site yesterday, but the AIT was reluctant to comment on whether the policy change was in response to human trafficking arrests made last month.
The ring, headed by Taiwanese and Chinese “snakeheads,” used personal information from Taiwanese Aboriginal children under age 14 but used pictures of underage Chinese girls to apply for Republic of China passports. The passports were then used to obtain a US visa. The victims often ended up working in brothels or sweatshops upon arriving in the US, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency said.
It was reported that the parents or the caretakers of the Aboriginal children were led to believe the personal information was used to help their children apply for a NT$5,000 education subsidy from the local government.
Prior to the policy change, Taiwanese youths under age 14 were not required to appear at AIT for a personal interview with the visa officers. Their parents or legal guardians were allowed to apply for the visa on their behalf. Tour agents were also allowed to apply for the visa as long they provided the national identity cards and household registration of the minor’s parents.
The AIT Web site stated that as of July 1 the AIT will require personal appearance of all non-immigrant visa applicants under 14. These applicants will need to make an appointment through the AIT Web site and their parents or legal guardians must accompany them to AIT Taipei for an interview. Persons above age 79 are still exempt from the interview process.
When asked if the policy change was in response to the recent human trafficking case, AIT spokesman Thomas Hodges yesterday declined to give a direct answer, but referred to comments made by AIT Director Stephen Young.
Asked about the possibility of including Taiwan in the US’ visa-waiver program last December, Young said: “Too often, we have found instances where people who were not Taiwan citizens have been able to obtain genuine Taiwan passports.”
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