If you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and you have a friend or relative who seeks to come to the U.S. as a tourist (on a B-2 visa), you may be able to help the person by providing a letter of invitation. It’s not a requirement, but it can help smooth the way.

Getting a U.S. tourist visa can be challenging because the U.S. government is worried about the number of people who use these as a way to enter the U.S. and then never leave or overstay. The aim of your letter would be to show the U.S. consular officer who considers the visa application that the person has a specific plan regarding visiting (and eventually leaving) the U.S., perhaps has a place to stay, and will not need to find work in order to support him- or herself while here (if that is, you plan to offer financial backup or support).

You can give this letter to your friend or relative to take along to the U.S. consulate when he/she presents the application for a U.S. visitors’ visa. This should be a personal document, so don’t stress yourself trying to make it sound overly sophisticated or official. 

If you’d like some guidance or more general information about the visa letter process, reach to the Radway Law Group by contacting our office via the online form or by phone.