Wedding Invitation letter requirements for family members outside of the the US.

[Jolex 0]

Hello Everyone,

Please advise, we are trying to invite our family members from Nigeria for our wedding in July 2011 and would like to know what the requirements are. Such as wedding invitation letter sample, documents required, deadlines and any other information you believe would make the process easier for them.

What type of VISA should they be applying for?

Can we put all of the names of our family members coming on one invitation letter?

Thank you so much as always in advance.

[Boiler 45,993]

They would apply individually for a B2 Visitor Visa.

There are no requirements for the documents you mention.

[Darnell 8,479]

I'd focus more , for any B2 visa, on actually meeting the requirements, and proving up 'strong ties to Nigeria' , instead.

Read all of this -> http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/niv_issuance.html#niv1

as the Visa Officer in Nigeria will use the same criteria for evaluation.

Good Luck !

[Rictodd 0]

Wondeful question, and one I have thought about in my own case. I'm bring their daughter here to marry me. Can they attend the ceremony and what kind of visa would they need? Is it cost prohibitive? American weddings I've been to have the father give the bride away. How can that happen if the parents can't attend? I've always assumed it was cost prohibitive or not possible.

[Darnell 8,479]

Hey - they'll need a B2 visa !

Review http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/niv_issuance.html#niv1 one more time.

[Rictodd 0]

Sorry, I didn't help answer your question, but seemed to ask another one.

[Boiler 45,993]

Usually a male gives away the Bride, it does not have to be the Father. Not all Brides have Fathers.

[Rictodd 0]

Hey Boiler,

I agree, however her father is living and none of the uncles speak English any better than him, and he's 77. I guess I should add she and I are both in our 40's.

[HeatDeath 430]

Many people, when trying to help relatives in "high[er] fraud" countries get tourist visas, fall in to the trap of attempting to prove that the foreign relative will be well supported by them in the US - that they will take full responsibility for the foreign relative's upkeep.

This is the worst thing you can do!

When adjudicating a tourist visa, the consular officer will be looking for overwhelming proof of exactly the opposite: that it would be completely and utterly untenable for the intending tourist to even think of trying to stay and live in the US - that their ties to their home country are so strong their life would be a complete and utter shambles if they so much as stayed 2 weeks longer than their intended trip.

Secondarily, and unofficially, they will also be looking for indications that the intending tourist intends to spend significant amounts of foreign money in the US during their American vacation.

In some countries, it can be virtually impossible to meet these standards and get a tourist visa. You should be aware that even if you and your father-in-law-to-be [and other relatives] do everything perfectly, there is no guarantee that he [or they] will be able to get a tourist visa at all.

[Also, your family members will be applying individually, so they will each need individual invitation letters.]

Edited October 9, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Boiler 45,993]

This is not higher, this is highest.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Do not get high hopes that family will get visas to attend. The one that MIGHT have the best luck , elderly parents ( but maybe only one ) older relatives that own their own home and have long term employment to return to. Least probable are young adults that have no property and no or only short term employment. If they are single their chances are probably zero . When there are conventions here we are happy if about 5 % of the invited speakers get a visa.