Letter of future employment

[LizaG 0]

This might be a long shot but I am hoping someone can help me with a 'letter of future employment' from a possible employer for work after graduation. I have one here in Sweden who is willing to write one for my student visa interview at the embassy. I've heard this letter might help, especially since I have an american boyfriend and this might cause some trouble.

What did your employers put in their letter?

[Little_My 464]

Mine just stated what I had done for them before, that they were happy with me, and that they would gladly consider me for a position in the organization upon my return to Finland. There is no one format for this - the idea of the letter is just to show that there are employment opportunities for you back home, which may make it more likely for you return.

However - as certain members around these forums are very eager to aggressively point out in every possible turn - the letter is obviously not legally binding and therefore its value as a proof of you having to return home is fairly weak. It won't hurt, and my advice is always to bring everything you can muster together. Chances are you won't have a horribly tough interview ahead of you, given your country of origin.

[Noah Lot 391]

This might be a long shot but I am hoping someone can help me with a 'letter of future employment' from a possible employer for work after graduation. I have one here in Sweden who is willing to write one for my student visa interview at the embassy. I've heard this letter might help, especially since I have an american boyfriend and this might cause some trouble.

What did your employers put in their letter?

Such letters are meaningless...for one simple reason:

What laws currently exist in Sweden that will punish those who do not live up to the terms of such a letter? If you don't return and take that job, will you be imprisoned? If the employer does not give you the job, will the employer be imprisoned or fined? IF the answer to these questions is 'no'..then what possible value is there to such a letter? It's like writing a letter that says.."I promise that the moon is made of green cheese.'..Then, when it's discovered that the moon is not made of green cheese, what downside would I suffer for having made such a written promise? Answer: none.

Anyone can write anything on a piece of paper....but that does not make it true nor binding on anyone.

[LizaG 0]

I know that it may not be of any value whatsoever, but it won't hurt to ask a possible future employer to write one.

LillaMy, did the interviewer look at the paper at all? Did they seem interested?

Edited February 15, 2012 by LizaG

[Dakine10 5,452]

However - as certain members around these forums are very eager to aggressively point out in every possible turn - the letter is obviously not legally binding and therefore its value as a proof of you having to return home is fairly weak.

Such letters are meaningless...

Well...that was funny. They do say timing is everything in comedy.

[Noah Lot 391]

For some reason, no one has ever provided any proof that such a letter has any value...I've said repeatedly it does not, I've asked those who believe that their letter will somehow carry more weight to explain what happens if said job is either not taken (because of course the applicant 'changes their mind' and miraculously decides to remain in the US...with their USC BF of GF) or not offerd and not a single person has ever answered that question....

So let's hear it...how in the world can such a letter have any realistic value if it is not a legally binding document with prescribed penalties for failure to adhere to the terms of if (and assuming said penalites are severe enough to be meaningful...i.e a $5 fine is not going to dissuade anyone from living up to the promises made in such a letter)..

to the OP: Why should your letter be any more valuable than anyone else's?

[Harsh_77 718]

You can include such letter for personal satisfaction that you did everything to prove your case.

Such letters hold no value for CO nor such letter sway CO in making decision either way.

Simple reason as Noah mentioned no one is accountable, by the time you grad in 4 yrs maybe company's needs have change and they no longer require ppl with your skill set then what?

Even if company has offered you job but for some reason you do no leave US then what who is accountable no one, so similar letter really don't mean anything.

[Little_My 464]

As I stated earlier, it WILL NOT HURT. Whether or not the letter will help in any way or not none of us know, because none of us are inside the particular IOs head when he/she is going over LizaG's documents and deciding whether or not to issue her a student visa. As has been pointed out in these forums previously - and in more occasion that one by you, Noah - there really is NO piece of evidence of ties to one's home country that would absolutely force a person to return home after a non-immigrant visit to the US. There is no document any of us can provide that would legally compell us to return. All a person can do is provide any and every little piece of paper he/she can think of that somehow shows that there is a strong possibility this person is in fact planning to come home after their trip to the US - and a letter from a prospective employer works just as well, or is just as useless, as for example a letter from school stating that a person is an enrolled student, or a letter from bank showing existing loans, or a valid lease for an apartment. So what is a person supposed to do? Show up with no proof whatsoever? That is a good way to make it very simple for the IO. LizaG did not say "Can someone help me with a letter from an employer, because I have heard that if I have one, I am sure to be issued a visa!". She asked for help with a document that may, or may not, support her application - and your advice, Noah, is not advice nor is it helpful. I think you have made your opinions about letters as proof perfectly clear to all of us.

LizaG - to be honest, I have no idea if the interviewer looked at the letter or not. I am sure she did, as she did go through every piece of paper I brought with me. However, whether that letter made any difference or not, I really couldn't tell. I can tell, however, that none of the other pieces of "proof of ties to my homecountry" that I brought with me were any more legally binding or compelling than that letter. I was issued a student visa, and realistically I think it is safe to say that it was largely due to my nationality. Finland is probably one of the countries with the lowest number of people attempting or committing immigration fraud - and I bet Sweden is right up there with us.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Little_My

[Noah Lot 391]

As I stated earlier, it WILL NOT HURT. Whether or not the letter will help in any way or not none of us know, because none of us are inside the particular IOs head when he/she is going over LizaG's documents and deciding whether or not to issue her a student visa. As has been pointed out in these forums previously - and in more occasion that one by you, Noah - there really is NO piece of evidence of ties to one's home country that would absolutely force a person to return home after a non-immigrant visit to the US. There is no document any of us can provide that would legally compell us to return. All a person can do is provide any and every little piece of paper he/she can think of that somehow shows that there is a strong possibility this person is in fact planning to come home after their trip to the US - and a letter from a prospective employer works just as well, or is just as useless, as for example a letter from school stating that a person is an enrolled student, or a letter from bank showing existing loans, or a valid lease for an apartment. So what is a person supposed to do? Show up with no proof whatsoever? That is a good way to make it very simple for the IO. LizaG did not say "Can someone help me with a letter from an employer, because I have heard that if I have one, I am sure to be issued a visa!". She asked for help with a document that may, or may not, support her application - and your advice, Noah, is not advice nor is it helpful. I think you have made your opinions about letters as proof perfectly clear to all of us.

LizaG - to be honest, I have no idea if the interviewer looked at the letter or not. I am sure she did, as she did go through every piece of paper I brought with me. However, whether that letter made any difference or not, I really couldn't tell. I can tell, however, that none of the other pieces of "proof of ties to my homecountry" that I brought with me were any more legally binding or compelling than that letter. I was issued a student visa, and realistically I think it is safe to say that it was largely due to my nationality. Finland is probably one of the countries with the lowest number of people attempting or committing immigration fraud - and I bet Sweden is right up there with us.

Imagine you are a VO...and somebody offers this letter as 'proof' that they will return to their country after their education is complete, rather than remain in the US to run off and marry their USC BF....how much weight would YOU give such a letter???? And if any more than 1 gram, why?

So many people erroneously believe that there is some magic piece of paper that will cause a VO to go into a mental fog and issue a visa with no questions asked.....really??/ Which one would that be? I've never heard of a single one. If anything, a letter presented by a visa applicant who admits to having a USC S/O is more of an act of desperation....or else why offer such a letter? What does such a letter really mean? What physical hold does it have over a visa applicant??? I cannot think of one. I would be willing to wager a considerable sum of money on the following:

Poll our embassies worldwide and ask them to produce statistics pertaining to those student visa applicants who offered a letter of future employment when applying for their visa and find out how many such students returned to their country after their education and took the job offered...I would bet the answer would be: ZERO.

[LizaG 0]

Little_My: Thanks alot for being so supportive and standing up for me.

I also have the impression that Scandinavian countries are pretty 'safe' compared to others. I am glad you got your visa and I sure hope to get mine. Because I do not have any papers showing strong ties, I just have my whole family here.

And Noah: I think we all know what you think and feel about this matter but that was not what I asked for and now (once again!) you have made your voice heard so that's enough of that, thank you. I already wrote in my first post that I KNOW these letter might not be useful but it doesn't hurt to show it.

I wanted to hear from people in my situation who has actually written one of these letters. If there is anyone else out there with experience or advice, let me know

Edited February 18, 2012 by LizaG

[Boiler 45,525]

It does no harm, so include it.

[Noah Lot 391]

Little_My: Thanks alot for being so supportive and standing up for me.

I also have the impression that Scandinavian countries are pretty 'safe' compared to others. I am glad you got your visa and I sure hope to get mine. Because I do not have any papers showing strong ties, I just have my whole family here.

And Noah: I think we all know what you think and feel about this matter but that was not what I asked for and now (once again!) you have made your voice heard so that's enough of that, thank you. I already wrote in my first post that I KNOW these letter might not be useful but it doesn't hurt to show it.

I wanted to hear from people in my situation who has actually written one of these letters. If there is anyone else out there with experience or advice, let me know

I would like to hear from any VO out there...tell us all how presentation of such a letter will instantly sway your decision to a favorable one....love to hear from you.

[Boiler 45,525]

I take the view it can do no harm, I could see others might thinks it helps a little bit.