Invitation Letters

Family and Friends Visiting the U.S.

Family members and friends who are planning to visit you in the U.S. for a period of less than six months should apply for a tourist visa (B1/B2 visa). Applicants must apply for a B-1/B-2 visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. For more information on how to apply for a visa, please visit the U.S. Department of State website.

(OPTIONAL) You may wish to provide an invitation letter written by you.

Please note that the ISSO does not issue invitation letters, and according to the guidance from the Department of State, invitation letters are not necessary for issuing visitor visas. 

You can write your own invitation letter, which may specify:

• The purpose of the visit (for example, if the visa applicant is traveling to the U.S. to attend your commencement ceremonies)
• The duration of the visitor’s planned stay in the United States
• Proposed dates of visit
• List of activities during visit
• Name and address of accommodations of the visitor (if known)
• Your U.S. address (indicate if the visitor will be staying with you)

It is also helpful to obtain an enrollment/graduation verification letter from the Registrar’s office confirming that you are a student at Suffolk or that you are graduating. You can provide both of these documents to the visitor and they should bring the documents to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where they are applying for a visa.

For any questions about this, please contact our office by email or call us at 617-573-8034