Including the right information may improve the odds that your friend, family member or colleague obtains a visa.
by Sofie Wise
Many U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents have friends and family living abroad whom they may want to invite to the United States for a temporary visit. When this happens, people often forget that there are certain requirements a foreign national must meet to obtain a travel visa and gain lawful entry into the country.
While not a requirement, a letter of invitation can be used as supporting documentation for a loved one’s B-1 or B-2 visa application to help them meet their application requirements.
If you’ve been asked to prepare an invitation letter for a U.S. visa application and aren’t sure where to begin, this guide may help. We discuss what a letter of invitation is, describe how to prepare one and provide an invitation letter for visa example that you can use as you craft your own.
An invitation letter is a document written by an individual formally inviting a family member or friend who’s a foreign national to the U.S. for a specific period of time. Invitation letters are often used as supporting documentation to the foreign national’s visa application when seeking temporary entry into the U.S.
The purpose of an invitation letter is to confirm the details of the applicant’s stay, including the reason for and dates of their travel. While an invitation letter isn’t a specific requirement for any visa application, including one with the application or bringing one to the visa application interview may be beneficial.
Schedule a free 15-min call with our team today.
If a friend or relative plans to visit you on a temporary travel visa, they may ask you to provide them a letter of invitation to submit in support of their visa application. Below are two common visitor visas for which you may consider submitting an invitation letter:
| Visa | Category | Examples of permitted activities |
| B-1 | Business | – Consult with business associates – Attend scientific, educational, professional or business events – Settle an estateNegotiate a contract |
| B-2 | Tourism | – Tourism – Vacation – Visits with family or friends – Medical treatment – Participation in certain social events – Participation in amateur musical, sports or similar events – Enrollment in short recreational study courses |
Regardless of the precise scenario, if a friend, family member or colleague requests an invitation letter, providing one may help enhance their chances of a successful application.
The timing of the letter’s submission doesn’t matter since a letter of invitation isn’t required when filing the initial application for a visitor visa. You may include a letter of invitation as additional documentation in support of your application, or you may also choose to bring one with you to your interview.
An invitation letter should be written by the individual who will host the foreign national during their stay in the U.S. and who has personal ties to the invitee.
Typically, the individual writing the invitation letter is either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). In many cases, the host is a friend or family member of the visa applicant. However, colleagues and business associates may also write letters.
Because providing an invitation letter is optional, there’s no specific list of information that one must contain. Nevertheless, below are some examples of information that’s often included:
In short, the goal of the invitation letter is to provide details confirming the foreign national’s relationship with the host residing within the U.S., the dates of travel and the purpose of their visit. The letter should also include details about the invitee’s ties to their home country to verify their intent to return at the conclusion of their trip. Examples of this include information about their home, job and family.
Lastly, the host should sign the invitation letter.
Schedule a free 15-min call with our team today.
Below is a sample letter of invitation. Keep in mind, there’s no specific format that an invitation letter must follow to be accepted as supporting documentation for a visa application. Because each letter is unique to the applicant’s situation, it may be beneficial to speak with an experienced immigration lawyer to determine how best to format your letter of invitation.
[Invitee full name]
[Invitee date of birth]
[Invitee foreign address]
Dear [full name of invitee],
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to formally extend an invitation for you to visit me in the United States from [proposed arrival date] to [proposed departure date].
As my [relationship], we’ve known each other for [length of time], and I am eager to host you in my home, where I plan to provide you with [details of accommodations and financial support] for the duration of your stay. I understand and acknowledge the requirements of your U.S. visa and assure you that I’ll assist you in complying with them, including, but not limited to, ensuring your timely departure from the United States at the conclusion of your trip.
Until then, I am looking forward to our plans to [travel plans during invitee’s visit].
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need any additional information or assistance during the visa application process.
[Host full legal name]
[Citizenship or immigration status]
[Host U.S. street address]
[Host city, state, zip code]
[Host phone number]
[Host email address]
Some also find it beneficial to accompany the letter with copies of items, such as:
Going through the process of applying for a B-1 or B-2 visa for temporary entry into the U.S. can be difficult due to the many requirements in the application process. However, writing a detailed invitation letter with the above information may help make the application process easier for a visa applicant.
If you have questions about how to write a thorough letter of invitation and what information to include, consider speaking with legal counsel. An experienced attorney can assess your situation and help you understand how you may help your invitee gain lawful entry into the U.S.
Our experienced team would love to help you move forward. Schedule a free 15-minute call so we can connect you with an experienced attorney.
There are no specific requirements that a host must meet when inviting a foreign national to visit them in the United States. On the other hand, the applicant must meet the requirements of the applicable visa application.
Invitation letters aren’t required for any visa application. Nevertheless, visa applicants are permitted to submit supporting documentation, such as an invitation letter from a friend or family member residing in the United States, along with their application. This letter typically confirms the purpose of the applicant’s visit and their ties to the host and the U.S.
Yes, you can apply for a U.S. visa without an invitation letter. In fact, it’s common to do so, as submitting an invitation letter isn’t a requirement of the application process.
No, a letter of invitation isn’t required for a B-1/B-2 visa. For these types of visas, the applicant typically must provide confirmation of their travel dates and the purpose of their trip as well as proof of strong ties to their home country and funds to cover the cost of their travel and return trip. While optional, a letter of invitation can help confirm these and other important details.
There are no specific requirements for what to include in a letter of invitation. However, an invitation letter frequently includes the host’s contact information and citizenship or immigration status, the purpose and dates of the applicant’s trip, information about the relationship between the host and applicant, and the host’s signature.
Disclaimer: This article is provided as general information, not legal advice, and may not reflect the current laws in your state. It does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not a substitute for seeking legal counsel based on the facts of your circumstance. No reader should act based on this article without seeking legal advice from a lawyer licensed in their state.
This page includes links to third party websites. The inclusion of third party websites is not an endorsement of their services.
We’re Marble, the law firm that’s here to move you forward. Get the legal help you need—when you need it most. We believe in being 100% transparent: from explaining what the process looks like to how much it costs before you start.
Attorney Advertising. The individuals represented in photographs on this website may not be attorneys or clients, and could be fictional portrayals by actors or models. The Service is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and is no substitute for consulting a licensed attorney. Only an attorney can provide you legal advice, and only after considering your specific facts and circumstances. You should not act on any information on the Service without first seeking the advice of any attorney. The Service is not intended as advertising or solicitation in any jurisdiction where the Service would be so characterized and fails to comply with all applicable laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. Marble is a licensed California PC and accepts clients for our practice areas within California. For our Federal immigration practice, we service clients throughout the country. In our specific practice areas available in other states, any and all legal work performed for a client residing outside of California will be undertaken only by an attorney who is licensed to practice law in that jurisdiction. One of our firm’s practice areas is bankruptcy, and we are therefore considered a debt relief agency by Federal law. We help certain clients file for bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Please find out more here. Marble PC does not seek to represent clients in jurisdictions where doing so would be unauthorized.
