Writing an invitation letter for Business Visa – USA B1

This post was most recently updated on April 24th, 2019

What is a Business Invitation Letter for Visa?

A Business Invitation Letter for Visa is a formal document prepared by an individual or organization, to invite an individual to a business event in a country other than that where they reside.

When visiting the USA for a business meeting, a seminar, training, conference or any other business occasion, you will need a business visa also known as the B-1 Tourist Business Visa.  To obtain this visa,  it is always advisable to obtain an Invitation Letter for Business visa from the company you will be visiting or the Organization putting up the conference or seminar you will be attending. This is in addition to the other documents that you will need to present to the visa officer.

When writing an Invitation letter for business visa purposes, you would need two letters. The first one is a simple Business Invitation Letter or a letter stating the details of the meeting and relationship between you and the company in the USA. The second letter is then addressed to the Visa Office, stating more details. There is no specific format in which the letters should be written, however, it is mandatory that the letter is written on the Company Letterheads.

Sample Business Invitation Letter for Visa

Sample Invitation Letter for Business visa to attend a Seminar

Below is a sample business invitation letter. The names on it are fictitious but this format has been used and visas have been issued using this format. There are other formats that can be used. The most important thing is for the information required to be on it.

Remember that this is just a sample and we are not in any way connected to the US immigration. You can get more info about the USA B-1 Visa here.

 

XYZ COMPANY
123 kings st, New York, 12345. USA
Tel:1-646-1234567, www.xyzcompany.com

27 June 2016

ABC Company Limited
308 Murtala Mohammed Way,
Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Address of the Consulate

Dear Mr Adedayo Salako,

SMALL BUSINESS PROMOTION CONFERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS

This is to confirm your registration for the Small Business Promotion Seminar slated for August 13 – 17, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel, Street Address, New York.

Your Registration fee of $2500 covers your accommodation for 2 nights, your meals and your seminar materials. A copy of the receipt has been sent to your email and also attached to this letter. Please find also attached the detailed schedule for the different workshops and presentations.

Please take note that a second letter has been addressed to the USA Visa office to help with your visa applications.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s conference.

 

Yours faithfully

John Brown
Secretary

It is important that the Invitation letter for business visa is signed and accompanied with all the listed attachments

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Business Invitation Letter for Visa Addressed to the USA Consulate

[Company Letter Head]

June 27 2019

United States Consulate General
Address of the Consulate

Dear Honorable Consul,

ADEDAYO SALAKO – APPLICATION FOR B-1 VISA

This is to confirm that Mr Adedayo SALAKO is registered for our Business Conference – Small Business Promotion for International Participants. He is the Vice President of ABC Company and has been doing business with us for the past 13 years.  Mr Salako’s registration covers all his living expenses while in the USA.

We would be happy to provide any further information that may be required in order to enable Mr. Salako to obtain a B1 visa to visit the USA.

Yours faithfully,

John Brown

 

Again, do not forget to sign the Invitation Letter for Business visa before mailing it or scanning and sending via email.

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General Tips for writing an Invitation Letter for Business Visa

• Invitations letters need to be written in English and on official company letterhead. They must clearly indicate that their purpose is to request visa issuance and the type of visa sought (B-1 Business Visitor Visa).
• The name of the individual requesting the visa must be stated in the invitation letter exactly how it appears on their passport. The host may choose to write the surname of the guest in ALL CAPS. Writing the surname in all capital letters, enables the Consular Officer to easily identify the individual’s surname.
• The invitation letter should state the individual’s title, the name of the business or organization they represent,and their relationship to the host (e.g., distributor, consultants, regional sales reps etc.).
• State the purpose of the visit; in this case the purpose of the visit would be for business (state precisely what the individual will be doing in the USA). Necessary personal data, including the person’s date of birth, city and country of birth, gender, marital status, and passport number is also required.
• The letter should articulate the planned dates of travel, which are for a specific and limited time period. If the host intends to cover all visitor travel-related expenses, he or she needs to say so in the invitation letter.
• The host’s complete contact details should be included in the letter.
• Finally, the letter must be signed. It is a good idea to do so in blue ink because it further shows that the document is original.

What Next after the Letter of invitation is done?

The host company must mail the invitation letter directly to the visa applicant. It is advisable to do so via courier to ensure timely delivery. Invitation letters should not be mailed to the Consular Section; supporting documents are rarely accepted in advance of the interview. There are so many applications treated by the consular section daily, it would be nearly impossible to track supporting documents sent in without an appropriate file number.

When the visa applicant goes to their interview, he or she should bring the original invitation letter along with their required documentation. Applicants should always check the Consular Section’s website for a complete list of required documentation and other helpful information covering the application process.

It is important to remember that a letter of invitation is not sufficient alone, nor is it a guarantee for visa qualification. An invitation letter is not a required document but it does offer documentary evidence supporting the case for visa issuance and may ease the visa application process. Each individual must qualify on their own merits.

Format of Invitation Letter for Business Visa

Here is an image that shows the format and arrangement for the Business Invitation Letter. This should help you visualize how the letter should look.

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Sample Business Invitation Letter for visa  – To attend a Business Collaboration Meeting

You would need a Business Visa (B-1 ) to visit the USA for any of the following reason as posted on the US immigration website – “to consult with business associates, travel for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or conference on specific dates, settle an estate, or negotiate a contract”.  This visa does not allow you to earn money. To get more details about this visa you can visit this page

Here is a sample letter that can be sent to you by any of your business partners or conference organizers. This is a letter that would be included in your application package to be sent or presented to the visa issuing office.

Sample Invitation Letter addressed to Guest

(Official Letter headed Paper is required)

Business Collaboration Meeting with our Business Expansion Team

As a follow-up to our phone conversation, this is to confirm that we would like to invite you for a meeting with our President Dr Sam Marc and our Business Expansion Team at our Annual Expansion meeting slated for January 26th – 28th 2012 at our office in New York City.

We have made adequate preparations for your accommodation and transportation around the city while you are with us. Details of your hotel reservations have been sent to your email.

Ps: You should attach the information about your hotel reservation and any other documents that show how you will be staying in the USA to this letter and your final application package.

SAMPLE INVITATION LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE CONSULATE

This is addressed to the Consulate – It could be sent directly to the consulate but a copy of this letter should be sent to you so that you can include it in your application package as well.

During the say of Mrs Smith in the United States we will be financially responsible for her accommodation and other miscellaneous expenses.

Should you have further questions please feel free to contact us using the information above.

Sample Invitation Letter for Business Visa to a Conference in New York

Here is a sample invitation letter that will be sent to a Conference Participant – Although these letters are not standard letters written for every conference participant, you can always request a letter like this from the conference organizers. If it would help you can send them a copy of this letter and tell them to edit it to suit your particular situation. If you are the conference organiser, then all you need is get the details of the conference participant and send them a letter similar to the one below as as well as the one that follows which may also be sent directly to the consulate general. I hope this helps in obtaining a B-1 visa for your trip.

 

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