My wife & I are thinking of having her parents come for a visit next fall but they're going to need tourist visas. I looked in the FAQQ for an example invitation letter but didn't see anything. If anyone has successfully gotten visas for their in-laws, it'd be sweet to see an example letter of invitation.

Many (most?) people on here I am guessing have had parents visit. The issue is not that, but the country they reside in and their personal circumstances.

Morrocco is an obvious issue, and then it would be down to their job/property/finances etc that demonstrate non-immigrant intent.

If you want to see what they need to do, look for the B2 visa on the local consulate site.

Have you found anything?

Not yet. I just am looking for ideas of how to word the letter. I'm positive they'll get the visa, they are definately not the kind of person who would want to immigrate.

There are plenty of invitation cards in Hallmark, but none of this is pertinant to the issue at hand.

rclouse,

Have a read through 9 FAM 41.31 Notes, N1 through N6, with regard to B visas for visitors. Observe that there's nothing in there about "invitation letter" for the B2 tourist visas.

Recognize also that one person cannot get a visa for another person - visa applicants need to get their own visas. It's an important perspective to keep in mind, because if you're not looking at the situation correctly you may not be able to provide anything of value to the application.

What you may be able to do is offer financial support, if financing the trip might be a problem for your inlaws - many people are so focused on the 'return home' issue that they overlook this essential item. You may also be able to help document a plan for the proposed trip that is realistic and internally consistent.

Yodrak

I phrased that improperly. I meant, "help get my in-laws tourist visas". I was hoping to find an example letter that I could use as a template. I have ideas of what to put in there, that we will purchase round trip tickets for them, that they own property (quite a bit of farmland, actually), that their age, complete lack of English language facility, and cultural identity make it impossible for them to stay for an extended period (let alone permanently), and that we will take care of their needs while they're visiting.

rclouse,

Look at what you propose to write with a critical eye.

"age, complete lack of English language facility, and cultural identity make it impossible for them to stay for an extended period (let alone permanently)" followed by "we will take care of their needs while visiting". Don't you see the inconsistency? There are many, many people in the USA permanently with a complete lack of English language skills, sufficient cultutal identity provided by those who surround them. If you can take care of your in-laws needs for 2 weeks, you can do so for 2 months, 2 years, 2 decades, or longer.

Again, read 9 FAM 41.31 Notes, N1-N6, don't overlook N3.1 and N3.2.

Yodrak

United States Consulate General
Consulate General of the United States of America

Locate Consulate office




Subject: Letter of Invitation for Ms. XXXXXXXXX

Dear Honorable Consul:

1. My name is XXXXXX( name of us person sending the invitation ); I reside at XXXXXXXX
2. I am a United States citizen.

3. I am requesting that you issue a tourist (B-2) visa to XXXXX, in order
to allow her to visit me and my wife in the United States.

4. Ms. XXXXXX in Law; she is related to my wife
Mrs. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, maiden name XXXX XXXXXXXXXXX

5. She will be visiting us from date--date . My XXXXXXXXX
and my wife are very closed, she’s a very honest and fun all around person,
we would love to have her with us for the XXXXXXXXX holiday. (Summer Vacation)

6. During her stay in the United States, she will stay with us at the address
stated above. I will be responsible for all of her room and board expenses
while she is in the United States.

7. Upon the termination of her visit, she will return to xxxxxx, India.

8. Ms. XXXXX will be presenting this letter to you, together with
other evidence showing her close ties to XXXXXXXX(City home Country), and to assure you that
she will return prior to the expiration of the visa once issued by your consulate.


Your kind consideration to this request will be greatly appreciated.

Yours truly,

________________________

________________________

I would request the VJ admin support team to put this up under sample letters/ forms as Invitation letter ect..
Nikita & charles
thats a pretty nice one i hope yr parents get their visitors visa
good luck

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.

Thanks Pry,


I sent out that invitation letter for my sister in law last year, everything went smoothly, we got a 10 year B2, please anybody feel free to use it. But as you all know with Immigration nothing is guarantee, nothing is standardized from One consulate to the next their requirement or way of doing things maybe different, but at least you give it YOUR BEST SHOT.

That's a good sample -- thanks!

deleted - superfluous

My wifes parents applied for a visitors visa last January 30the and got denied. We don't know the reason they had all there papers in order. Does the invitation letter really helps them in there application. Is it advisable for them to reapply?

eric&jenn,

There's no sense re-applying unless there's significant new information to present either because their circumstances have changed or because they should have presented it the first time and did not.

Recognize that having one's papers in order does no good if what the papers show is insufficient to qualify them for the visa. They really need to know why their first application fell short. The two common problem areas are
- demonstrating that they will leave the USA when their proposed visit is supposed to end, and
- demonstrating that they can afford the visit that they propose to make.

A third area where I suspect that some people fall short is that they fail to offer a reasonable and internally consistent plan for the visit.

Yodrak

Hi all. I have come across a website that has all kinds of helpful information on how a person applies for a visa from India. Im sure it has some information that can be useful for many countires.
There are letter samples on how to write invite for family members.. how to have employment letters. What kind of questions are possibly asked many other things.
Hope it helps.

USA visitor visa help IMMIHELP.com

JanaknJanet,

Interesting web site. I looked at a couple of the example documents and was struck by these lines from this example letter for a visa applicant:

That I would like to visit my son ... and his family and visit the tourist attraction locations in USA such as New York, Washington DC, Niagra Falls, Las Vegas, Disney Land and Florida. I would be staying at my son's residence ... . I intend to visit USA for 6 months. During my stay in the United States, my son will bear all my responsibilities including return air ticket fare, food, housing and medical insurance.

So far, pretty good. A nice, concise description of the plan for the visit. It might reasonably take 6 months to visit one end of the USA to the other.

That I have personal business of cloth retailer and that I own the firm named ... located at ... . This firm exists since 1964. My business has annual turnover of Rs. XXXXX and profit for the last year was Rs. XXXX

Sounds good. But wait a minute - whose going to keep the business going while the owner/proprietor is out of the country for 6 months? And if the business is this successful why is the person dependent on his son to pay for all the costs of the proposed visit?

I own the following property listed below:

Good.

That I have my old parents I need to take care of. My father ... is 78 years old and my mother ... is 73 years old. Both of them are staying with me and I need to take care of them as they are fully dependent on me.

So who is going to take care of these "fully dependent"people who need your care if you will be gone for 6 months?

There are some inconsistencies here that may not pass 'the smell test'. Possibly because this example was written as a 'one size fits all' type letter that doesn't fit any one person very well at all. Watch out when using these kinds of examples, tailor them to your own situation carefully.

Yodrak

Thanks Yodrak... I read the letters and assumed them to be only for guidelines not for 100% use.
I assumed that one looking for help in how to write might get some form of help.
Every Consulate has different things they look for and request.
Ultimately they all request that the one applying provide proof that they have strong ties to return to. By having one sponsor your trip shows that there is someone willing and capable of making sure you wont become a charge to the state.

[quote name='Yodrak' date='May 12 2006, 08:12 AM' post='191669']
JanaknJanet,

Interesting web site. I looked at a couple of the example documents and was struck by these lines from this example letter for a visa applicant:

That I would like to visit my son ... and his family and visit the tourist attraction locations in USA such as New York, Washington DC, Niagra Falls, Las Vegas, Disney Land and Florida. I would be staying at my son's residence ... . I intend to visit USA for 6 months. During my stay in the United States, my son will bear all my responsibilities including return air ticket fare, food, housing and medical insurance.

So far, pretty good. A nice, concise description of the plan for the visit. It might reasonably take 6 months to visit one end of the USA to the other.

Not sure of when this letter was written either but isn't a majority of the B-1/B-2 visas now only given for 90 days.. ? I think in past they possibly granted longer visas so this timeframe is irrelevant. Main thing is it shows that you are traveling touring and have a planned itinary.

That I have personal business of cloth retailer and that I own the firm named ... located at ... . This firm exists since 1964. My business has annual turnover of Rs. XXXXX and profit for the last year was Rs. XXXX

Sounds good. But wait a minute - whose "going to keep the business going while the owner/proprietor is out of the country for 6 months? " And if the business is this successful why is the person dependent on his son to pay for all the costs of the proposed visit?

"" Not all owners or Proprietors are the only ones running businesses. .. The statement shows that he owns a business and that he has income and ability to provide, also shows strong ties and responsibilities to have to return to .


I own the following property listed below:

Good.

That I have my old parents I need to take care of. My father ... is 78 years old and my mother ... is 73 years old. Both of them are staying with me and I need to take care of them as they are fully dependent on me.

So who is going to take care of these "fully dependent"people who need your care if you will be gone for 6 months?

This is showing the need to return.. It is not stating that the care is not being provided for them by someone in his absence is it? It could have indeed been clarified further stating that if visa is granted the care for his dependents will be provided by hired care or other.

There are some inconsistencies here that may not pass 'the smell test'. Possibly because this example was written as a 'one size fits all' type letter that doesn't fit any one person very well at all. Watch out when using these kinds of examples, tailor them to your own situation carefully.


Very true about the one size fits all... agree with that as well. Best to understand the culture that one is applying from as well.

Thanks for the comments too..

janaknjanet,

Sounds like you are confusing the duration of the visa with the duration of the allowed stay in the USA. Understandable, given the language of the example letter, and points out another flaw in the letter. It's the CBP agent at the POE who determines how long a visitor will be allowed to stay in the USA, not the visa.




The statement also calls into question the truthfulness of the claim to a successful business, in two ways.

The visa applicant makes no mention in his letter of how the alleged successful business will be kept going in his absence. It's the duty of the visa officer to be skeptical, not to assume information that the visa appliocant has not provided.

And there's the inconsistency between claiming to be a successful businessman yet needing a sponsor who will pay for everything. Inconsistencies are negatives, and need to be avoided or addressed.


Another inconsistency that needs to be addressed but is not. This does not show a need to return, it shows an inability to leave. You are quite right - the letter is not stating that care will not be provided. Nor does it say how care that is claimed to be essential will be provided. The care can't be too essential then, can it? And if there is another way to provide the care, that removes the need for the visa applicant to provide the care, doesn't it?


Yes, I look at these things as a complete skeptic. Because that's the way that visa officers look at things.

Yodrak

I saw that site a year or so back.

1) It is very Indian Sub Continent specific.

2) A large number or posts and very few replies, and many of the replies are suspect at best.

From a quick glance it has not changed very much.