IMMIGRATION SUPPORT
Inviting family to visit
During your studies you may want to invite parents or other family members to visit. These suggestions can help them apply for a visitor visa (B-2) at a U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country.
Your letter of invitation
Write a letter of invitation covering the purpose of the visit, your relationship to the people invited, a statement of your status here, itinerary details, and how long they will be visiting, usually less than three months. Emphasise the temporary nature of the invitation and demonstrate their intention to return home following the visit. If you will support them financially while they are here, include that too.
ISS CANNOT WRITE THIS FOR YOU
ISS staff members are unable to write letters of invitation for your family members.
What to include
- A copy of your I-20 to confirm your student status.
- Graduate students holding an assistantship may also want to attach a departmental funding letter.
- If they are travelling for your graduation, details of the commencement ceremony (opens in a new tab).
- Consulate and embassy locations and application procedures are on the U.S. Department of State visa pages (opens in a new tab).
What to expect
Providing this documentation may improve their chances of obtaining a visa, but there is no guarantee one will be issued, and such letters are not part of the application. The success of their request rests on their ability to prove they have no intention of staying permanently in the United States.