B2 Visa Invitation Letter Help!!!!!

[MacUK 983]

In borderline cases.. such as to show financial support when an applicant is otherwise eligible and qualifies for a B2.

How?

As far as I remember it the DS-160 has a question asking who will pay for the trip.

Nothing more is required.

You write an invitation letter saying you will pay for everything and the B-2 is granted.

If you don't pay, does the visa get cancelled?

Do you go to prison?

A letter is not enforcible so therefore, completely useless. All it does is repeat information given on the application.

Can you give any example where you know for 100% absolute fact that an invitation letter was the difference between a denial and an approval?

[Boiler 45,525]

Lots of stories, about people being told things by CO's which are probably not true. So even if someone was told flat out that the reason they obtained a B was that they had financial support not sure I would believe it. Plus from recollection nobody has ever been told that.

Now I have seen a number of people report that they have at certain Consulates been asked for financial information from US relatives, mainly in the far east, and have been subsequently issued a visa. How the 2 are linked is anyones guess.

[MacUK 983]

Lots of stories, about people being told things by CO's which are probably not true. So even if someone was told flat out that the reason they obtained a B was that they had financial support not sure I would believe it. Plus from recollection nobody has ever been told that.

Now I have seen a number of people report that they have at certain Consulates been asked for financial information from US relatives, mainly in the far east, and have been subsequently issued a visa. How the 2 are linked is anyones guess.

I've said it before.

I believe, and maybe HFM could confirm/deny it, that COs regularly lie to applicants that are being denied that their denial is due to something simple and easily remedied, in order to get them away from the window and they can get to the next applicant. Instead of having scenes at the window where people are vehemently arguing their case and thrusting meaningless documents at them.

If you tell them that all they need is proof of finances then they'll quietly go away, get it and then apply again.

Tourist visa denials are, after all, an excellent generator of funds.

Little off topic, but I do wonder if the $160 application fee is an accurate representation of the costs involved in man/hours for each application.

Does the process run at a profit or loss?

[Boiler 45,525]

I can not imagine the fee is an issue, when you think how much it must cost to operate a very inefficient system.

I do agree with the get them away asap, especially bearing in mind some of the stories recounted on here.

And who interviews them later if they do come back, well probably someone else.

[MacUK 983]

I can not imagine the fee is an issue, when you think how much it must cost to operate a very inefficient system.

That's why I wonder if it runs at a loss or a profit.

I do agree with the get them away asap, especially bearing in mind some of the stories recounted on here.

And who interviews them later if they do come back, well probably someone else.

In a system where approvals and denials are based upon the individual opinion of someone, no matter how well trained they may be, then we can never know for a fact what reasons there could be for a decision.

Person 'A' doesn't convince CO 'B' that they'll return so CO 'B' tells them to get their USC relative to send them proof of finances or an invitation/promise of funds letter.

Person 'A' trots off and does that and when they reapply they are interviewed by CO 'C' who, regardless of the letter, IS convinced of their intent to return and so approves the visa.

Or even, they are interviewed by CO 'B' again, but today he's in a different mood and looks at the case slightly differently and approves them. No matter how highly trained the COs are, they are still human and capable of being in good moods/bad moods/feeling generous/feeling cautious.

The point to the OP, other than the information on the DS-160, documents mean very little in the application. They could take an invitation letter, or a promise of funds, or a written guarantee from you that they will leave the US after their trip but the COs will probably never even look at them as none of them can be enforced.

[KierenHby 899]

Can you give any example where you know for 100% absolute fact that an invitation letter was the difference between a denial and an approval?

If there were such a thing as 100% certainty, we wouldn't be debating this here, now would we?

[GeorgeandGeorgia 14]

As per my tourist visa application experienced- i got denied 3 times ? But my 4th tourist visa application was granted! You just need to prove that you have a strong TIES where you live. Strong reason why you have to comeback to your country and NOT STRONG REASON why you have to visit the USA.

[HFM181818 750]

OK, as a retired CO, I can mostly speak for myself (and for those I trained).....an invitation letter will never overcome 214b....period. Sure, lots of USC relatives/friends write some letter claiming they will 'pay for everything...'...so what? That alleged fact would still not preclude the future B2 holder from working illegally, if for no other reason than to pay back some or all of the expenses fronted by some relative or friend.....furthermore, any promises to pay expenses is not legally enforceable, no matter what silly form someone may sign or have notarized (woo-hoo!) nor can any letter of invitation that purports to promise to pay have any legal standing whatsoever....sure...lots of relatives probably would pay for some or all of the airline ticket,,,,again...woop dee doo....none of that proves that the applicant will depart the US nor that the applicant would work without permission....thus, at best, an invitation letter is neutral; at worse, negative. think about this carefully....invitation letters are the easiest thing in the world to produce, but they mean nothing.

[JRF 117]

"A former CO's" words aren't necessarily golden.

I did say in select instances.

I speak from experience.

Same here. My sister in law (single, 30) and mother in law (from Vietnam) just received tourist visas. My sister in law brought her work contract, and has travelled to Japan and Korea. My mother in law has property in Vietnam. All that said, the CO read the letter I wrote, spelling out the financial details, purpose of the trip, etc. I didn't think it would get attention, but it did.

If someone wants to draft a letter, clearly no guarantee it will help. However, what's the cost and the harm?

[MacUK 983]

If someone wants to draft a letter, clearly no guarantee it will help. However, what's the cost and the harm?

The harm is that it could appear that the applicant is dependant on the USC family member and imply that they have more reason to stay in the US than go home.

[GeorgeandGeorgia 14]

OK, as a retired CO, I can mostly speak for myself (and for those I trained).....an invitation letter will never overcome 214b....period. Sure, lots of USC relatives/friends write some letter claiming they will 'pay for everything...'...so what? That alleged fact would still not preclude the future B2 holder from working illegally, if for no other reason than to pay back some or all of the expenses fronted by some relative or friend.....furthermore, any promises to pay expenses is not legally enforceable, no matter what silly form someone may sign or have notarized (woo-hoo!) nor can any letter of invitation that purports to promise to pay have any legal standing whatsoever....sure...lots of relatives probably would pay for some or all of the airline ticket,,,,again...woop dee doo....none of that proves that the applicant will depart the US nor that the applicant would work without permission....thus, at best, an invitation letter is neutral; at worse, negative. think about this carefully....invitation letters are the easiest thing in the world to produce, but they mean nothing.

I agree! My 3 times tourist visa applications were DENIED as the invitations indicated there that my Relative will pay my tickets and help me for my expenses while in the US. My 4th application, I was granted for 10 years multiple visa entry as I got promoted at work and salary increased means I have showed to the CO that I have new strong ties where I live. Also I filled up in my DS-160 that I was the one who will pay my ticket which is true. I can afford to buy ticket to the US but I thought it would help me to put that my relative will pay it for me. You have to prove that you have too many reasons why you have to comeback to your country rather than give the CO more reasons why you have to visit the USA. But now that I am engaged, I did not use my B1/B2 10 yrs multile entry visa to get married and I am applying now for Fiancé visa Being true to the consul will result a positive application. I lost hope when I got denied 3 times as the fees is non-refundable but patience is a virtue

[HFM181818 750]

When someone is denied a B2, the one thing that the CO should not do is tell the applicant, 'oh, if you just had $5000 in the bank, I would have approved your visa!" No....because all that will do is motivate the applicant to have $5000 (or whatever) into their account, then they reapply only to be denied again because they did not convince the CO that they would leave the US...there is NO specific some of money an applicant must have in order to get a visa, no specific time on their job, etc....I mostly said, 'I am sorry, but I cannot approve your visa application under section 214b' or 'I am sorry, but you have not convinced me that you will return..'...period.....notice that the applicant has really nothing concrete upon which to try and be 'creative' the next time. That's the way to say no. The more detail given, the more arguments will ensure, the more likely the applicant will try to get fake docs or something...it's actually fairer to the applicant not to spell out the deficiencies...because they are (generally) more subjective in nature rather than objective (like immigrant visas)...remember, we are (were!) there to judge intent, not to calculate someone's bank account totals.

[LEISEROM 32]

about ten years ago my wifes niece wanted to come visit us in the USA. She had just graduated from college and wanted to get away from Rio for awhile. At my wifes insistence i wrote such a letter. Needless to say her visa petition was denied. 22 years old no job no reason to return. Consular officers ignored the letter. she ended up going to London and stayed six months or so working under the table.

[Boiler 45,525]

about ten years ago my wifes niece wanted to come visit us in the USA. She had just graduated from college and wanted to get away from Rio for awhile. At my wifes insistence i wrote such a letter. Needless to say her visa petition was denied. 22 years old no job no reason to return. Consular officers ignored the letter. she ended up going to London and stayed six months or so working under the table.

[Mike-eeh and Odie 193]

Well we want to still write a letter saying that we can support them financially just in case what they present financially isn't enough.

That most likely will hinder their application rather than help it.