Sample US Invitation Letter for Visit Visa, 3 Templates by Relationship
If you need a sample invitation letter for a B-2 or tourist visa application, one of the fastest ways to get one right is to start from an example that matches your actual relationship to the visitor, not a generic template you have to guess your way through. Below are three complete letters, one for a parent or family member, one for a business visitor, and one for a friend, each carefully crafted and ready for you to make your own.
If you're interested in the rules behind these letters, what to include, how consular officers actually use them, and whether you even need one, see our full US visa invitation letter guide. This page assumes you already know you want a sample to work from and need one that fits your situation.
Which Sample Fits Your Situation
- Inviting a parent, sibling, or other family member? Use Sample 1.
- Inviting a business contact, client, or employee for meetings or a conference? Use Sample 2.
- Inviting a friend who isn't a relative? Use Sample 3, and pay close attention to the relationship paragraph, this is the part consular officers scrutinize when there's no family tie to fall back on.
Every sample below follows the same structure - purpose, host information, visitor information, purpose and dates, accommodation and finances, and intent to return. That structure is what an officer expects to see, regardless of who's inviting whom. What changes between the three samples is the level of detail in the relationship paragraph and the financial section, not the skeleton.
Sample 1: Inviting a Parent or Family Member
June 5, 2026
The Consul General
U.S. Embassy London
33 Nine Elms Lane
London, SW11 7US
United Kingdom
Subject: Invitation Letter for B-2 Visitor Visa – Michael A. Johnson
Dear Honorable Consul,
My name is Emma Louise Johnson. I am a United States citizen residing at 450 West 34th Street, Apartment 12B, New York, NY 10001. My date of birth is March 14, 1990. I work as a senior software engineer at TechNova Inc., 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166, where I have been employed for four years. My phone number is +1 (212) 555-0198, and my email address is emma.johnson@email.com.
I am writing to invite my father, Michael Anthony Johnson, to visit me in the United States for tourism and family time. His date of birth is November 2, 1958, and his passport number is 987654321, issued by the United Kingdom. He resides at 18 Kensington Road, London, W8 4PL, United Kingdom. My father is a retired secondary school history teacher and owns his home at the address listed above. He has lived in London for over 30 years.
I would like to invite him to visit from June 10, 2026, to July 2, 2026. During his three-week stay, we plan to visit landmarks in New York City, travel to Washington, D.C., and attend my cousin Sarah's graduation ceremony at Columbia University on June 20, 2026.
My father will stay at my home at the address listed above for the entire duration of his visit. I will financially support him during his stay and cover all expenses, including housing, food, and local transportation. I have enclosed my recent bank statements for the past three months and my most recent pay slips as evidence of my financial capability.
My father has strong ties to the United Kingdom. He owns his home in London, where he has lived since 1995. His wife, my mother, will remain in London during his visit, as will his younger brother and extended family. He receives a pension from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and intends to return to London no later than July 2, 2026.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please contact me at the phone number or email address above if you require any additional information.
Sincerely,
[Handwritten Signature]
Emma Louise Johnson
450 West 34th Street, Apartment 12B
New York, NY 10001
Phone: +1 (212) 555-0198
Email: emma.johnson@email.com
What makes this a family letter: the relationship is stated once, plainly, "my father," and the rest of the letter leans on concrete ties, a home he's owned for thirty years, a pension, a spouse and sibling staying behind. That's what does the work here, not the relationship label itself.
Sample 2: Inviting a Business Contact
March 3, 2026
The Consul General
U.S. Embassy London
33 Nine Elms Lane
London, SW11 7US
United Kingdom
Subject: Business Invitation Letter for B-1 Visa, David Chen
Dear Honorable Consul,
My name is Rachel Martinez. I am a United States citizen and Director of Operations at Northfield Manufacturing, 1200 Industrial Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44114, where I have worked for seven years. My phone number is +1 (216) 555-0142, and my email address is rachel.martinez@northfieldmfg.com.
I am writing to invite David Chen, Regional Sales Manager at Pacific Components Ltd., to visit our Cleveland facility for a series of business meetings regarding an ongoing supply agreement between our companies. Mr. Chen's date of birth is August 22, 1985, and his passport number is E12345678, issued by Singapore. He resides at 45 Orchard Road, #08-12, Singapore 238839.
Mr. Chen is invited to visit from April 14, 2026, to April 21, 2026. During this time, he will meet with our procurement and engineering teams to finalize the terms of a component supply contract, and will tour our production facility. This is his second visit to discuss this specific agreement.
Northfield Manufacturing will cover Mr. Chen's hotel accommodation at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown, 127 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114, for the full duration of his stay, and will reimburse his ground transportation and meal expenses. Mr. Chen's flight costs are being covered by his own employer, Pacific Components Ltd.
Mr. Chen holds a permanent position at Pacific Components Ltd., where he has worked for nine years, and will return to Singapore on April 21, 2026, to resume his regular responsibilities.
Please contact me directly at the phone number or email above if any further verification is needed.
Sincerely,
[Handwritten Signature]
Rachel Martinez
Director of Operations, Northfield Manufacturing
1200 Industrial Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: +1 (216) 555-0142
Email: rachel.martinez@northfieldmfg.com
What makes this a business letter: First off, it should be on company letterhead if possible. It should name the specific business purpose, and not something just like "meetings". It should state who is paying for what between the two companies, and it should confirm the visitor's employment as the tie back home. A business letter without a named, specific purpose reads as filler, so specificity matters more than it does in the family sample.
Sample 3: Inviting a Friend
May 12, 2026
The Consul General
U.S. Embassy London
33 Nine Elms Lane
London, SW11 7US
United Kingdom
Subject: Invitation Letter for B-2 Visitor Visa, Priya Sharma
Dear Honorable Consul,
My name is Jordan Lee. I am a United States citizen residing at 78 Maple Street, Austin, TX 78701. I work as a marketing manager at Southline Media, where I have been employed for three years. My phone number is +1 (512) 555-0187, and my email address is jordan.lee@email.com.
I am writing to invite my friend, Priya Sharma, to visit me in Austin. Priya and I met in 2016 while both studying at the University of Manchester, and we have stayed close since, visiting each other twice in the past four years, most recently when I visited her in Mumbai in 2024. Her date of birth is January 9, 1994, and her passport number is N7654321, issued by India. She resides at Flat 302, Rosewood Apartments, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, India.
I am inviting Priya to visit from July 1, 2026, to July 15, 2026. During her stay, we plan to attend a concert in Austin, visit friends in Dallas, and spend a few days exploring the Texas Hill Country.
Priya will stay at my home at the address listed above for the entire visit. She is covering her own travel and living expenses, and has enclosed her bank statements and employment letter as proof of financial capability.
Priya works as a UX designer at a Mumbai-based technology firm, a position she has held for five years, and will return to Mumbai on July 15, 2026, to resume her regular work schedule.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Handwritten Signature]
Jordan Lee
78 Maple Street,
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: +1 (512) 555-0187
Email: jordan.lee@email.com
What makes this a friend letter work: the relationship paragraph does more work than in either other sample. It describes how they met, for how long, and shows concrete proof they've stayed in touch, because a "friend" alone tells an officer nothing about whether the relationship is real. Skipping that detail greatly diminishes the strength of this invitation letter.
Adapting Any of These to Your Situation
Don't just copy these sample letters, change every name, date, address, and detail to your actual circumstances. Specifics are what make a letter credible, not the format. If you're missing a detail these samples include, like a specific employer or the length of your friendship, that's usually a sign you need more information before writing the letter, not a reason to leave it vague.
For the full breakdown of what's required for an invitation letter, and the common mistakes that weaken these letters regardless of which sample you started from, see the full guide here.
Get Itinerary can also generate a pre-filled invitation letter template alongside your flight itinerary and hotel reservation, so the dates, names, and addresses already match across every document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use one of these samples exactly as written? No. Every detail needs to reflect your actual relationship, trip, and finances. Consular officers see enough letters to recognize an unmodified template, and it works against you rather than for you.
Which sample should I use if I'm inviting a friend I haven't seen in years? Sample 3, and lean even harder on the relationship paragraph, specific shared history, how you've kept in touch, and why now. A vague "we're old friends" claim is the most common weak point in this type of letter.
Do I need a different format for a Schengen or UK visa instead of a US one? The structure here works as a starting point, but check the specific consulate's requirements first, some Schengen countries and the UK have their own expectations for format and content. Our main invitation letter guide covers the differences by country.
Related Reading
- Letter of Invitation for US Visa: Complete Guide, the full rules, requirements, and step-by-step writing process
- How to Write an Invitation Letter for Visa Applications, the broader guide covering personal, business, and country-specific requirements
- How to Get a Flight Reservation for Your Visa, documentation that should match the dates in your invitation letter exactly
