This is VisaVerge’s free invitation letter template library: 10 fill-in-the-blank templates, one for each common reason people invite a visitor, plus 3 fully written example letters you can study before you write your own. Each template is short on purpose. Keep the structure, replace every bracket with your real facts, and delete any line that does not describe your trip.
If you need the rules first, such as who should write the letter, what a consular officer actually weighs, which documents to attach and how the visitor uses the letter at the interview, start with our U.S. Visa Invitation Letter Guide. That guide explains the how and the why. This page is the toolbox you open once you know what you need.
One fact shapes every template below. The U.S. State Department says a letter of invitation is not needed to apply for a visitor visa, and that if an applicant brings one, it “is not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa.” Applicants must qualify on their own ties to their home country, not on assurances from family and friends in the United States.
So why write one at all? A clear letter still does three practical jobs. It fixes the dates, address and purpose so the visitor’s DS-160 answers and interview answers match the host’s story. It spells out who pays for what. And for trips to Canada and several European countries, an invitation or an official host document is part of the file rather than an optional extra.
The templates are written for visits to the United States on a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa, with notes where a scenario needs extra care. For trips to Europe or Canada, use the country pages linked in the chooser in Step 1, because those governments set their own content rules.
Inviting your mother or father? We keep a dedicated page with longer, parent-specific samples and interview tips: Invitation Letter for Parents Visiting the USA. The parent template below is the short version.
Every template and example on this page is illustrative. Consular officers read thousands of letters, and identical phrasing lifted from the internet is easy to spot and can make an honest letter look manufactured. Use the structure, then write the sentences in your own words with your own facts. Never state anything you cannot back up: the State Department warns that misrepresenting a material fact can lead to a permanent visa refusal.
Pick the Template That Matches the Trip
Find the row that describes the visit. The “Who signs” column matters more than people expect: the letter should come from the person the visitor is actually going to see, or from the organization that is actually expecting them, not from a better-off relative who will not be there.
| Visitor is coming to… | Template | Who signs | Usual U.S. visa | Attach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visit a son or daughter | 1. Parents visiting | The adult child they will stay with | B-2 | Host status proof, proof of address |
| Visit a brother, sister, cousin or other relative | 2. Sibling or relative | The relative hosting them | B-2 | Host status proof, proof of address |
| Visit a friend | 3. Friend | The friend hosting them | B-2 | Host status proof, proof of address |
| Visit a fiance or fiancee for a short stay | 4. Fiance(e) visit | The U.S.-based partner | B-2 (K-1 if moving to marry) | Host status proof, return plans |
| Attend a wedding | 5. Wedding guest | The bride, groom or their family | B-2 | Wedding invitation card |
| Attend a graduation | 6. Graduation | The graduate | B-2 | Commencement notice or ticket email |
| Help after a baby is born | 7. Childbirth help | The new parent | B-2 | Host status proof, due-date letter (optional) |
| Get medical treatment | 8. Medical treatment | The relative hosting them | B-2 | Doctor letters, cost estimate, proof of funds |
| Meet a U.S. company | 9. Business visitor | A manager at the U.S. company | B-1 | Company letterhead, meeting agenda |
| Attend a conference | 10. Conference | The organizer or the U.S. host company | B-1 | Registration confirmation |
| Visit a Schengen country | Use the Schengen guide | Host in that country | Schengen short-stay visa | Schengen country rules |
| Visit Canada | Use the Canada guide | Canadian citizen or PR host | Visitor visa or super visa | Canada letter checklist |
The visa column reflects the State Department’s own lists. Visiting friends or relatives, tourism, social events and medical treatment fall under B-2. Consulting business associates, negotiating a contract and attending a scientific, educational, professional or business conference fall under B-1. Many applicants receive a combined B-1/B-2 visa, but the letter should still describe one clear purpose.
Collect the Facts Every Template Needs
Gather these details before you open a template. Most weak letters are weak because the host wrote from memory and guessed at dates or spellings, and those small errors are what create mismatches with the visitor’s application.
- Host: full legal name, date of birth, full U.S. address, phone and email
- Host: status in the U.S. (citizen, permanent resident, or visa type with its end date) and job title and employer
- Visitor: full name exactly as printed in the passport, date of birth and passport number
- Visitor: home address, job or occupation, and what they return to (work, school, family, property)
- Relationship, and for friends, how long and how you know each other
- Exact arrival and departure dates, matching any tickets already booked
- Where the visitor will stay, and who pays for airfare, lodging, food and insurance
- For events: the event name, date, venue and any invitation or registration document
Send the visitor a copy of your finished letter before they fill in the DS-160. Their answers on purpose of trip, address in the U.S., length of stay and who is paying should read the same as your letter.
Fill In Your Template
Every template uses the same opening and closing block, shown first, so each scenario below only contains the middle paragraphs that change. Keep the finished letter to one page. Text in [square brackets] is for you to replace or delete; text in (round brackets) is optional.
[Date]
To: Consular Officer, U.S. [Embassy / Consulate General] in [City, Country]
Re: Invitation for [Visitor’s full name as in passport], passport no. [number], born [DD Month YYYY]
Dear Consular Officer,
[Paste the middle paragraphs from your scenario template here.]
I can be reached at [phone] or [email] if you need any further information.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Full name]
[U.S. citizen / Lawful permanent resident / H-1B worker, status valid until DATE]
[Full U.S. address]
I am a [status] living at [address], where I work as a [job title] at [employer]. I am writing to invite my [mother / father / parents], [full names], to visit me from [arrival date] to [departure date].
The purpose of the visit is to spend time with family (and to [see our new home / meet their grandchild / attend a specific family event]). They will stay with me at the address above. I will cover [their accommodation and meals], and they will pay for [their airfare and personal expenses].
My parents live in [city, country], where [my father is retired from … / my mother works as …] and they [own their home / care for …]. They plan to return home on [date].
I am inviting my [brother / sister / cousin], [full name], who lives in [city, country], to visit me in [U.S. city] from [arrival date] to [departure date]. We last saw each other in [year].
[He / She] works as a [job title] at [employer] and has approved leave for these dates. During the visit we plan to [two or three concrete plans, for example: spend Thanksgiving with my family and drive to the Grand Canyon]. [He / She] will stay at my home, and [explain who pays for what].
I have known [full name] since [year], when we [studied together at … / worked together at …]. I am inviting [him / her] to visit me in [city] for a holiday from [arrival date] to [departure date].
We plan to [itinerary in one sentence]. [He / She] will stay in [my guest room / my apartment] at [address]. I will provide accommodation; [he / she] will pay for [his / her] own airfare and personal expenses. [He / She] returns to [his / her] job as a [job title] in [city] on [date].
I am a [status] and I am engaged to [full name], a citizen of [country]. I am inviting [him / her] to visit me in [city] from [arrival date] to [departure date], a stay of [number] days, to [meet my family / spend the holidays with us].
[State your real plans plainly, for example: Our wedding is planned for MONTH YEAR in CITY, COUNTRY.] [He / She] will stay with me at [address] and will return on [date] to [his / her] work as a [job title] at [employer].
I am marrying [partner’s name] on [date] at [venue], [city, state]. I am inviting my [relationship], [full name], to attend the wedding and the family events around it from [arrival date] to [departure date]. A copy of our wedding invitation is enclosed.
[He / She] will stay [with us at ADDRESS / at HOTEL NAME, booked and paid for by us]. [Explain who pays for airfare.] [He / She] will fly home on [date].
I am completing my [degree] at [university], and my commencement ceremony is on [date] in [city, state]. I am in the United States as [an F-1 student / other status], and my program ends on [date]. I am inviting my [relationship(s)], [full names], to attend the ceremony and stay with me from [arrival date] to [departure date].
A copy of the university’s commencement notice [and guest ticket confirmation] is enclosed. They will stay at [address / hotel], and [explain who pays for what].
My [wife and I / partner and I] live at [address] and are expecting our [first] child around [due date]. I am inviting my [mother / mother-in-law], [full name], to stay with us from [arrival date] to [departure date] to help care for the baby and [the mother] in the weeks after the birth.
The baby will be delivered at [hospital] and our health insurance is with [insurer]. [She] will stay in our home, and we will pay for [what you cover]. [She] returns to [city, country] on [date].
I am inviting my [relationship], [full name], to [city] for treatment of [condition] at [hospital or clinic], which has agreed to treat [him / her]. [His / Her] physician in [country], Dr. [name], has recommended treatment in the United States because [reason].
According to the enclosed letter from [U.S. facility], treatment is expected to last [length] at an estimated cost of [amount]. These costs, and [his / her] travel and living expenses, will be paid by [who], as shown in the enclosed [bank statements / insurance approval]. [He / She] will stay with me at [address] and return home on [date / after the follow-up appointment on date].
[U.S. company name] invites [full name], [job title] at [foreign employer], to visit our offices at [address] from [arrival date] to [departure date] to [specific purpose, for example: review specifications for the PROJECT order and negotiate the renewal of our supply agreement]. A short meeting agenda is enclosed.
[Name] will remain employed and paid by [foreign employer] throughout the visit and will not perform hands-on work for our company. [Who pays for travel and lodging.] Please contact me, [name, title], at [phone] or [email] with any questions.
[Organization name] confirms that [full name], [job title] at [employer], is registered to attend [conference name], held at [venue], [city, state], from [start date] to [end date] (registration no. [number]).
[He / She] will [attend sessions / present a poster on TOPIC / staff the EMPLOYER booth]. [He / She] will not receive a salary or fee from [organization]. [The registration fee has been paid by EMPLOYER.] For verification, contact [name, title] at [phone] or [email].
For a business trip that involves several meetings, a training program or contract talks, our B1 Business Visa Invitation Letter Samples page has four longer, fully written versions of Templates 9 and 10.
Template 4: if the plan is to marry in the United States and live here, a visitor visa is the wrong route. That path usually starts with Form I-129F for a K-1 fiance(e) visa. Template 7: the State Department lists birth tourism, meaning travel mainly to give birth in the U.S. so the child gets citizenship, as not permitted on a visitor visa. The template is for a relative coming to help, not for a pregnant traveler.
Planning a K-1 instead? Start with the documents required for the K-1 fiance visa process.
Attach Only the Documents That Back Up the Letter
The attachments are what turn a letter’s claims into checkable facts. Send the visitor copies, not originals, and include only what supports something the letter actually says. A thick stack of unrelated paperwork does not help.
- All scenarios: copy of the host’s U.S. passport bio page, green card, or visa plus status document (for example an I-797 approval or I-20)
- All personal visits: proof of the host’s address, such as a lease, mortgage statement or utility bill
- If the host is paying: recent bank statements or a pay stub
- Wedding: the printed or digital wedding invitation
- Graduation: the university’s commencement notice or guest ticket email
- Medical: diagnosis from the home-country physician, a letter from the U.S. doctor or facility with the projected length and cost of treatment, and proof that treatment, travel and living costs will be paid
- Business or conference: meeting agenda or registration confirmation
The medical list comes straight from the State Department, which says officers may ask for those three documents at the interview. For the full document list a visitor should bring, see our page on required documents for a U.S. visitor visa interview.
Many hosts ask whether they should also sign a Form I-134. The State Department says a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa, so do not file one just to strengthen a B-2 case.
Study Three Fully Written Example Letters
The three letters below show what a finished letter looks like when the brackets are gone. They cover a family visit, an event visit and a business visit, so most readers will find one close to their own case. Every name, address and number is invented. Read them for tone, order and length, then write your own.
March 3, 2027
To: Consular Officer, U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, India
Re: Invitation for Sunita Ramesh Kulkarni, passport no. [number], born 14 June 1961
Dear Consular Officer,
My name is Priya Kulkarni Shah. I am a lawful permanent resident of the United States and live with my husband, Arjun Shah, at 2214 Willow Creek Drive, Plano, Texas 75024. I work as a senior data analyst at Northgate Health Systems in Dallas.
We are expecting our first child around May 20, 2027. I am writing to invite my mother, Sunita Ramesh Kulkarni, to stay with us from May 10 to August 5, 2027, to help care for the baby and for me during my recovery. The baby will be delivered at Medical City Plano, and our health insurance is through my employer.
My mother will stay in our guest bedroom. Arjun and I will pay for her round-trip airfare and her travel medical insurance, and she will have no housing or food costs while she is with us.
My mother lives in Pune, where she retired in 2021 after 30 years as a schoolteacher. She lives with my father, who is 68, and she manages the family’s apartment and his medical appointments. Her return ticket is booked for August 5, 2027.
I have enclosed a copy of my green card, our lease, and a letter from my obstetrician confirming the due date. I can be reached at (972) 555-0148 or [email protected] if you need any further information.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
Priya Kulkarni Shah
Lawful permanent resident
2214 Willow Creek Drive, Plano, Texas 75024
March 18, 2027
To: Consular Officer, U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria
Re: Invitation for Chukwuemeka David Okafor, passport no. [number], born 2 February 1996
Dear Consular Officer,
I am Adaeze Okafor, an international student on an F-1 visa completing a Master of Public Health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. My program ends on May 31, 2027, and the School of Public Health commencement ceremony is on May 1, 2027.
I am inviting my older brother, Chukwuemeka David Okafor, to attend the ceremony and to stay with me from April 28 to May 9, 2027. He is the only member of my family able to travel, and attending was a promise he made when I left home. The university’s commencement notice and my guest ticket confirmation are enclosed.
He will stay with me in my apartment at 615 Packard Street, Apt. 3B, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. He will pay for his own airfare from savings, and I will cover his meals and local travel during the visit.
Chukwuemeka works as an accounts officer at a manufacturing company in Enugu and has approved leave from April 26 to May 12, 2027. His return flight is booked for May 9.
I can be reached at (734) 555-0172 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
[Signature]
Adaeze Okafor
F-1 student, program end date May 31, 2027
615 Packard Street, Apt. 3B, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
[Company letterhead]
January 12, 2027
To: Consular Officer, U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam
Re: Invitation for Nguyen Thi Lan, passport no. [number], born 9 September 1989
Dear Consular Officer,
Brightline Fixtures Inc. is a lighting manufacturer based at 4400 Commerce Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43219. Since 2023 we have purchased LED driver components from Hoa Binh Electronics Co., Ltd. in Hanoi.
We invite Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, Quality Engineering Manager at Hoa Binh Electronics, to visit us from March 1 to March 12, 2027. From March 2 to 5 she will meet our engineering and purchasing teams in Columbus to review test results for our 2027 product line and negotiate quality terms for the next supply contract. From March 8 to 10 she will attend a lighting industry trade show in Las Vegas with our team. Her meeting agenda and trade show registration confirmation are enclosed.
Ms. Nguyen will remain employed and paid by Hoa Binh Electronics throughout the trip and will not perform hands-on work at our facility. Her employer is paying for her airfare. Brightline Fixtures will pay for her hotel in Columbus and her trade show registration.
For verification, please contact me at (614) 555-0193 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
[Signature]
Michael Harlan
Vice President, Supply Chain
Brightline Fixtures Inc.
Notice what all three examples share: exact dates that match the booked tickets, one clear purpose, a plain statement of who pays for what, and a factual line about what the visitor goes home to. None of them asks the officer to approve the visa or promises that the visitor will leave; the visitor has to show that at the interview with their own circumstances.
Sign It, Send It and Keep the Story Consistent
Sign the letter by hand, then send the visitor a clear scan or PDF along with the attachments. The visitor brings a printed copy to the interview; the host does not file anything with the embassy.
The letter only helps if it matches everything else the visitor says. The purpose, the U.S. address, the length of stay and the person paying should be the same on the DS-160, in the letter and in the visitor’s spoken answers. Our B-1/B-2 visa interview questions guide shows the questions where mismatches usually surface.
If the visitor is refused under Section 214(b), a longer or more emotional letter will not change the result. What changes outcomes is new evidence of the visitor’s own ties. See how to overcome a 214(b) visa rejection.
Common Invitation Letter Mistakes
Officers see the same internet phrases every day. A letter that reads like a download, especially one with a leftover bracket or the wrong pronoun, raises questions an honest letter should never raise.
If the letter says three weeks and the application says three months, the officer will ask why. Settle the dates first, then write both documents from the same plan.
The State Department says applicants qualify on their ties abroad, not on assurances from U.S. family and friends. Long paragraphs promising the visitor will return carry no weight; facts about their job, family and home do.
Lines like “she will help in my shop” or “he will look for work while here” describe employment, which the State Department lists as not permitted on a visitor visa. Write the real purpose, and if it is not a visit, use the right visa.
One page is enough for every scenario on this page. Officers have minutes per case; a short letter with exact facts is read, a long one is skimmed.
Traveling Somewhere Other Than the United States?
Other countries treat invitations very differently, and a U.S.-style letter may not be enough. France, for example, uses an official host form, the attestation d’accueil, which the host files at the town hall of the address where the visitor will stay, and it must be validated before the visa application for private or family visits of under three months. Our Schengen visa invitation letter guide covers the country-by-country rules and gives a Schengen sample.
Canada publishes its own list of what a letter must contain, including the host’s status in Canada with proof and family details such as the names and dates of birth of a spouse and dependants. For a parent or grandparent super visa, the letter must also include a promise of financial support for the whole visit. Use our Canada invitation letter checklist and samples for those trips.
After You Finish the Letter
Read the finished letter once against the passport and once against the DS-160 draft. Check every name spelling, the passport number and every date. Then send it with the attachments listed in Step 4.
If you still have questions about what the letter can and cannot do, who should sign it, or how the visitor presents it at the window, go back to the U.S. Visa Invitation Letter Guide with Sample Letters, which covers the rules in full. Hosting a parent? The parents visiting the USA page has longer parent-specific samples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an invitation letter required for a U.S. visitor visa?
No. The State Department says a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa, and that a letter is not one of the factors used to issue or deny the visa. It still helps the visitor keep dates, address and purpose consistent with the DS-160.
Can I copy a sample invitation letter word for word?
No. Use a template for its structure, then write the sentences yourself with your real facts. Consular officers see the same internet phrasing constantly, and a letter that reads like a download can make an honest case look manufactured. Every statement must also be true and provable.
Who should sign a visa invitation letter?
The person the visitor is actually coming to see, or the organization expecting them. For a family visit that is the relative hosting them; for a wedding, the couple or their family; for a business visit or conference, a manager at the U.S. company or the event organizer, on letterhead.
What documents should I attach to an invitation letter?
Attach a copy of the host’s passport bio page, green card or visa and status document, plus proof of address. Add bank statements if the host is paying, and event proof such as a wedding invitation, commencement notice or conference registration. Medical visits need doctor letters, a cost estimate and proof of funds.
Which visa does an invitation letter support for a conference or business meeting?
Usually the B-1 business visa. The State Department lists consulting business associates, negotiating a contract and attending a scientific, educational, professional or business conference as B-1 activities. The letter should state that the visitor stays employed and paid by the foreign employer.
Can my mother visit the U.S. to help after my baby is born?
Yes, visiting relatives is a B-2 purpose, and an invitation letter can explain the dates and who pays. The State Department’s ban on birth tourism applies to travel mainly to give birth in the U.S. so the child gets citizenship, not to a grandparent coming to help.
Can I use an invitation letter to bring my fiance to the U.S. to marry?
A visitor visa suits a short visit. If the plan is to marry in the United States and live here, the usual route is a K-1 fiance(e) visa, which starts with the U.S. citizen filing Form I-129F with USCIS. State your real plans honestly in any letter.
How long should a visa invitation letter be?
One page. Each template here is two or three short paragraphs plus a standard opening and signature block. Officers spend minutes per case, so exact dates, one clear purpose, who pays, and what the visitor returns home to matter more than length.
