Taiwan to seek solutions for Vietnamese students facing visa delays

Lam Wei-Chih, head of the education division and education counselor at the Taipei economic and cultural office in Ho Chi Minh City, said on Tuesday that the difficulties faced by Vietnamese students planning to study in Taiwan have been reported to Taiwan's relevant authorities.

According to Lam, several Taiwanese universities are expected to meet with the Taiwanese education agency next week to raise concerns over complications arising from the new student visa documentation requirements.

He said efforts have been made over the past two weeks to resolve the issue, but responsibility for approving and issuing visas lies with the foreign affairs authority rather than the education agency.

The authority of foreign affairs has decided to accept only official graduation diplomas, he noted.

The education agency will invite the foreign affairs authority to discuss possible solutions, Lam said.

The Taipei economic and cultural offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City had earlier announced that under the new regulations, student visa applications from Vietnamese applicants would only be accepted if accompanied by an official high school graduation diploma.

In the past, applicants were allowed to submit a temporary graduation certificate while waiting for the official diploma.

The new requirement could disrupt visa processing and enrollment schedules, particularly for Taiwanese universities with early admission timetables.

Under Vietnamese regulations, official high school graduation diplomas must be issued within 30 days of the decision recognizing a student's graduation.

However, issuance timelines vary by locality.

By early August, some schools in Ho Chi Minh City had already distributed diplomas, while students in several other provinces and cities were still waiting to receive theirs.

Lam expressed hope that Vietnamese authorities could review the list of students requiring official diplomas to complete their overseas study applications, helping accelerate the issuance process, particularly in cases where students have not yet provided all the necessary information for documentation.

While awaiting the outcome of discussions between the Taiwanese authorities, students are advised to stay in contact with their high schools, local education departments, and their Taiwanese universities to confirm application deadlines, enrollment schedules, and whether any adjustments to the timeline may be possible.