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Dear Mentor:
| How do I write a letter of invitation to get a visa for my mother? |
I am a Filipino and married to an American National in February 2001. I have just been here in US for seven months. And now I am pregnant. My husband and I are trying to invite my mother from the Philippines to come over here, when I give birth in November. However, I understand that she will need a letter of invitation from us to present in the US Embassy. Since it is our first time to do a kind of letter, we don't know how the proper addressing should be and the contents of the letter will go. Would you please help us in this matter? Or would you have some sites that you know have samples of letter of invitation? Any help you will extend to us will be highly appreciated. I am looking forward to seeing your reply soon as we are really rushing our application in the US Embassy so my mother will be given a schedule of interview. Thank you very much.
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Dear Inviting Mom:
As you may know, iMahal is a portal specializing in Education and Careers; that is, we offer information and guidance on education and careers. We typically do not delve into other topics in this column. However, we recognize your urgency and we also happened to have the information you need, so we decided to address your inquiry.
Your mother would visit the US on a visitor's visa, which can be granted for a period of up to 6 months. The US immigration authorities are interested in ensuring that your mother has the financial means of sustaining herself during her visit to the US and that she would return to the Philippines prior to the expiration of her visitor's permit. Thus, the letter from your end should provide relevant information for the US authorities in the Philippines to make the desired decision.
Since you arrived in the US recently, we are assuming that you are neither a permanent US resident nor a US citizen, thus your husband, who is a US national, should write this letter. The letter should be addressed to the US consulate or US embassy in the Philippines. The letter from your husband should state the following:
- Purpose of the letter
- His name, social security number, and contact information (address, phone, and email)
- His current employment status and financial means (such as house, savings, tax status in good standing, and so on)
- His relationship with your mother
- The purpose and duration of your mother's visit
- A request for the grant of a visitor's visa for your mother
- A strong statement that he would provide all necessary finances to meet all financial needs of your mother during her stay in the US
- An offer to provide any further information that the US authorities may need
This letter should be sent to your mother, who can then take it to the nearest US consulate or the US embassy in the Philippines. There is no guarantee that this letter would be sufficient, but if the US authorities need further information or guarantees, they would advise your mother accordingly. You can then take appropriate actions. One critical item: it is incumbent upon your mother to convince the local US authorities that she will return to the Philippines after her visit to the US.
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