Skip to main content

Office of International Student & Scholar Services

Current Students

Inviting Friends & Family to the U.S.

Students and scholars may invite friends or family members to visit them during their stay in the U.S.  Such visitors will be required to apply for a B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa with a U.S. Consulate/Embassy in their home country.  The Department of State provides a helpful list of documents that are required for U.S. visitor visa applicants:

  • Passport valid for travel to the United States
  • Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
  • Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
  • Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160.

Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:

  • The purpose of your trip;
  • Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
  • Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.

Evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country. If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all costs for your trip.

Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant's residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a nonimmigrant tourist visa.  If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that we use in determining whether to issue or deny a nonimmigrant tourist visa.

Source:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit.html

Students and scholars who would like to provide their family members or friends with additional documents, as mentioned above, may provide one or more of the following:

The letter should indicate the student's relationship to the visa applicant, the purpose of the visit and the length of time their family/friend plans to visit. If the student will be financially supporting their visitor(s) during their stay in the U.S., the letter should indicate this as well.

Students may request an official transcript or Enrollment Verification Letter from the Registrar's Office. These documents help to verify that you are a student of TAMUK. Instructions for requesting these documents can be found on their website:

https://www.tamuk.edu/registrar/RGAD_ACADEMICPROCEDURES/index.html

https://www.tamuk.edu/registrar/RGAD_RESOURCES/transcripts.html 

If you will be sponsoring your visitors financially during their visit to the U.S., you may provide them with a Financial Sponsor/Support Letter and a copy of a recent financial statement/letter from your bank.

Please note that letters of invitation are not a requirement or determining factor in the approval or denial process for individuals applying for a visitor's visa to the U.S. Providing visa applicants with such documents may provide the consul with helpful information regarding their reason for visiting the U.S.; however, it does not guarantee that they will be approved for a visa. Visa applicants must demonstrate strong ties to their home country and their intention to depart the U.S. after their visit.