An invitation letter for a US visa is a signed statement from someone in the United States asking a foreign national to visit, spelling out who the visitor is, why they are coming, when they will arrive and leave, where they will stay, and who is paying. The Department of State says plainly that this letter is not required for a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visa and is “not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa.”1U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visa Even so, a clear letter helps the applicant tell a coherent story at the interview, and many consular posts informally expect one. Here is what to put in it, a sample you can adapt, and the documents that should travel with it.
What the Letter Should Contain
There is no official template. What matters is that three things come across clearly: who is inviting, who is visiting, and what the trip actually looks like.
Start with yourself as the host. Give your full legal name, U.S. address, phone number, email, and your immigration status. You do not have to be a citizen or permanent resident to invite someone. Students on F-1 visas, workers on H-1B visas, and anyone else legally present in the country can write an invitation. Whatever your status, name it and be ready to attach a copy of the document that proves it (passport, Green Card, visa, I-20, or DS-2019).
Next, identify the visitor. Use the full name exactly as printed on their passport, and add date of birth, passport number, home address, and country of citizenship. State your relationship in plain terms: parent, sibling, friend, business colleague. The officer wants to understand why you specifically are the person extending the invitation.
Then describe the trip. Give the planned arrival and departure dates, the concrete purpose (a graduation, a wedding, a national-parks tour, a client meeting), and where the visitor will stay. If you are covering flights, lodging, or meals, say so. If the visitor is paying their own way, say that instead. Specifics beat generalities every time.
A Sample You Can Adapt
Replace the bracketed text with your own information.
[Your Full Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
[Date]
Consular Officer
U.S. Embassy [or Consulate General]
[City, Country]
Dear Consular Officer,
My name is [Your Full Name], and I am a [U.S. citizen / lawful permanent resident / F-1 student at (University Name) / H-1B worker at (Company Name)] residing at the address above. I am writing to invite my [relationship, e.g., mother], [Guest’s Full Name], to visit me in the United States.
My guest’s details are as follows:
Full Name: [as printed on passport]
Date of Birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Passport Number: [number]
Home Address: [guest’s address in home country]
Country of Citizenship: [country]
[Guest’s First Name] plans to arrive on [date] and depart on [date], for a stay of approximately [number] weeks. The purpose of the visit is [specific purpose: to attend my graduation from (University) on (date) / to visit family and sightsee / to attend (specific event)]. During the stay, we plan to [brief description of activities, e.g., visit family in Chicago, attend the ceremony, and tour the city].
[Guest’s First Name] will stay at my home at the address listed above. I will be responsible for [all expenses during the visit, including round-trip airfare, meals, lodging, and transportation / OR: (Guest’s name) will fund the trip independently and has provided their own proof of financial means].
I have enclosed copies of [list what you are attaching: my U.S. passport biographical page / Green Card (front and back) / recent bank statements / employment verification letter] for your reference.
Please contact me at [phone number] or [email] if you need any additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Handwritten Signature]
[Your Full Name, typed]
Adjust the tone to fit the trip. A family reunion letter leans on the relationship and shared activities. A business letter leans on the professional purpose and the inviting company’s details. The bones stay the same.
If the Visit Is for Business
When the trip is for business rather than tourism, the invitation usually comes from a U.S. company rather than an individual. USCIS eligibility for a B-1 visa requires the applicant to show the trip is “for business of a legitimate nature,” that the stay is for a limited period, and that they have a residence abroad they do not intend to abandon.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. B-1 Temporary Business Visitor The letter should help the applicant show each of those things.
Print the B-1 letter on company letterhead and cover:
- Company details: full legal name, address, phone number, and the name and title of the person signing.
- The visitor’s role at their own company abroad and why the U.S. company needs them to visit (a specific conference, contract negotiation, training session, or equipment inspection).
- Dates and itinerary: arrival, day-by-day or week-by-week activities, departure.
- Who is paying: the U.S. company, the visitor’s foreign employer, or the visitor.
- An explicit statement that the visitor will not receive salary or wages from any U.S. source during the trip.
Supporting Documents to Send With the Letter
The letter is the centerpiece; what you attach behind it is what makes it credible. A claim like “I will cover all expenses” invites the officer to look for proof.
- Proof of your status: a photocopy of your U.S. passport biographical page, both sides of your Green Card, your valid visa with I-94, or your I-20 or DS-2019 if you are a student or exchange visitor.
- Proof of finances, if you are sponsoring: recent bank statements showing enough to cover the visit, and an employment verification letter on company letterhead listing your job title, salary, and length of employment.
- Proof of the visitor’s ties abroad: this is technically the visitor’s job, but a return flight itinerary or proof of the event they are attending strengthens the package.
Any document not in English needs a certified English translation. Federal rules require the translator to certify in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate between the two languages.3U.S. Department of State. Information About Translating Foreign Documents The certification should carry the translator’s name, signature, address, and date. A professional service is not required; anyone fluent in both languages can do it, and notarizing the certification is common practice.
When You Need Form I-134
If you are financially sponsoring the visitor, some consular posts ask for Form I-134, the Declaration of Financial Support. Do not confuse it with Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support used for immigrant visa sponsors. The I-134 is not legally enforceable in court; it functions as a formal good-faith statement that you have the resources to support the visitor during the stay.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-134, Declaration of Financial Support
The form asks for your income, bank balances, and assets. The official instructions say to attach supporting evidence such as:
- A bank statement showing when the account was opened, total deposits over the past year, and the current balance.
- An employer letter on business stationery listing the nature of your employment, your salary, and whether the position is permanent or temporary.
- A copy of your most recent federal income tax return, or at least one month of consecutive pay stubs if you did not file a return or if it does not reflect current income.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-134, Instructions for Declaration of Financial Support
Inadequate financial evidence can result in denial of the visitor’s application, and knowingly providing false information on the form carries criminal penalties. File a separate I-134 for each visitor you are sponsoring.
The I-134 is not always necessary. Many B-2 applicants are approved without one, particularly when the visitor can show their own resources. If the consular post in the visitor’s country does not specifically request it, the financial details in your letter plus bank statements may be enough.
Getting the Letter to the Visitor and Using It at the Interview
Once the letter is signed and the attachments are assembled, send the whole package to the visitor in their home country. Do not mail it to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate; the visitor brings it to the interview. Use a trackable courier and send scanned copies by email as a backup in case the physical package is delayed.
At the interview, the visitor should bring the original signed letter with all attachments. Consular officers usually ask about the purpose of the trip, the relationship with the host, and financial arrangements before looking at any documents. The visitor should not volunteer the letter unprompted but should have it ready when asked. An original signed letter carries more weight than a printout of a scan, though both are accepted.
Before the interview, the visitor should read the letter carefully and be ready to answer questions about everything in it: the dates, where they will stay, who is paying, what they plan to do. Every nonimmigrant visa applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant until they satisfy the officer otherwise, which is the legal basis for a denial under INA Section 214(b) and the most common reason visitor visas are refused.6U.S. Department of State. Visa Denials A well-written letter helps the visitor overcome that presumption by showing a specific plan, a definite return date, and a host who can account for them while they are here.
Mistakes That Weaken the Letter
Overpromising is the most damaging error. If you write that you will cover every expense when your bank balance does not support the claim, that raises more suspicion than sending no letter at all. If the visitor is paying their own way, say so plainly. A modest, accurate self-funded plan reads better than a fabricated lavish one.
Vague purpose statements are the next common problem. “Visiting for personal reasons” gives the officer nothing to work with. “Attending my daughter’s wedding on June 14 at St. Mark’s Church in Portland” gives the officer something concrete to evaluate. The more the letter reads like a plan two real people actually discussed, the better it works.
Other avoidable errors: spelling the visitor’s name differently from the passport, leaving out return travel dates (which makes it look like the visitor has no plan to leave), and sending only a digital scan when the signed original could arrive in time. And remember what the State Department already said: the letter alone does not make or break the decision. What it does is make the visitor’s story easier to tell and easier to believe. In a five-minute interview, that is worth a lot.