If you have a friend or relative who is in a foreign country and they want to visit the United States, you may want to send them visa letters of invitation. These are letters written by business associates, family, students or friends who want to help assist the individual who is trying to obtain their visa. By mailing this letter to that person, they can use it when they actually apply for a visa.
Visa Letters Of Invitation Requirements
The requirements for visa letters of invitation are different in each country around the world. One country may have a specific document that is required for a letter of invitation. Other countries may have specific regulations. The person who is applying for a visa should do some research and consult the guidelines of the country that they would like to visit. Typically, responsibility lies with the person who wants to obtain a visa.
Sponsors Must Supply Information
When a person hosts an individual from another country, there are known as a sponsor. People who act as sponsors in the U.S. are required to provide documentation about themselves when writing a letter of invitation. The letter should include the following items:
– Name
– Address and telephone number
– Date of birth
– Occupation
– Citizen status
– Proof of citizenship (copies of a birth certificate or passport will work)
Visitor Information
Information regarding the visitor who is applying for a visa must also be reported. The following information must be used:
– Purpose of visit
– Relationship to visitors
– Travel dates
– Address and telephone number of the visitor
– Date of birth
This information will be given to the embassy. Information regarding financing for this trip must also be given to the embassy.
Travel Expenses
If a sponsor is footing the bill for travel expenses, it must provide proof of their income. To do this, a sponsor will need to complete an I-134 form, which is titled “Affidavit of Support.” An embassy may also ask for information regarding the sponsor’s financial situation such as paycheck stubs, bank statements, real estate value and life insurance value.
Providing Sufficient Information
To make sure that a sponsor is providing the correct information that is needed, they can contact the United States Embassy. It is important for sponsors and visitors to check with the embassy to see what the current wait time is regarding visas. This will help ensure that the person who is visiting the United States will have enough time to obtain their visa before coming to the U.S.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!