Invitation Letters for Family and Friends

If you wish to invite your family and friends while you are studying or teaching at the University of North Georgia, they may need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa to travel to the U.S. Find additional information on the State Department’s website.

The University of North Georgia does not issue letters of invitations for family and friends. Instead, the individual (student or scholar) who is inviting the visa applicant to the U.S. should write the invitation letter.

Invitation Letter Template (to be written by the student or scholar)

(Date)
Consular Officer United States
(Consulate or Embassy)
(City), (Country)

To whom it may concern,

My name is (your full name) and I am a (student/scholar) in (F-1, J- 1, etc.) status at University of North Georgia in (campus location) Georgia, (pursuing a [bachelor’s, master’s etc.] degree in [field of study]/ teaching/doing research in [field of instruction]). An (enrollment certificate/letter of employment) and a copy of my (I-20 or DS-2019) are attached as proof of my attendance.

I would like to invite my (Relationship to Visitor [mother/father, etc], Name of visitor) to visit me in the United States at the University of North Georgia and the Atlanta area for (describe reason for visit: graduation, school break, special event, etc.). The dates of the visit will be (dates). We may also visit (possible popular tourist destinations or events) while in the United States.

My guests will stay at (residence, or other location) during the duration of their visit, and the costs of their visit will be covered by (person responsible for visitor’s expenses while in the country). Please see the attached financial documentation for more details.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (Student contact information phone/email).

Thank you for your time and kind consideration of the attached visa application.

Sincerely,

Student Name
Student Signature

The most common reason a B-1/B-2 tourist visa is denied is because the applicant is believed to have “immigrant intent".

To demonstrate “non-immigrant intent” the applicant should prepare evidence showing strong ties to their home country, which can include documents that show:

They have a job to return to
They own property in their home country
An itinerary for their visit
Funds to support costs associated with their trip (While you may be funding the actual visit, it is important to document that the visitor also has funds to support their visit.)
Any other documentation showing they have good reason to return to their country
Evidence that the individual will have health insurance that will cover any unforeseen medical expenses during the stay in the U.S.

The student or scholar should provide the applicant with:

An invitation letter from you as the host, with an itinerary and estimated budget for the trip
Copies of your I-94, I-20 or DS-2019 immigration form and passport
If you are a UNG student: Enrollment certificate from your Banner account (instructions on how to request it can be found on the Registrar’s website) OR
If a visiting scholar: letter of invitation/employment
Printed information about the event from the official website or other source of detailed information about the event If family or friends are coming for graduation or another institutional event

The most common reason a B-1/B-2 tourist visa is denied is because the applicant is believed to have “immigrant intent".

Important note: UNG is providing the above information as a recommendation and this information is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued. The US Embassy or Consulate will determine if the visa is issued.