 If you're planning to apply for the USB 1B2 visa, chances are you might have heard of an invite letter. And if you're wondering what exactly is this invite letter and whether you need it, then keep on watching. Hi guys, my name is Shachi and I'm a travel and visa coach. On this channel, you'll find tons of useful videos on the US visa process right from filling your DS160 to clearing your interview. So make sure you check them out. A lot of you have asked me questions about invite letters and these questions range from what exactly is an invite letter to who can issue them to what should it say and will it help my visa chances. So we are going to cover all of this in today's video. Before we start, I have something for you. So we have a sample copy of an invite letter and this will give you an idea of how exactly an invite letter should look like. It's completely free to download, so do check the link in the description box below. So let's start with what exactly is an invite letter. Now invite letter is a document that is given to you by somebody who is legally living in the US. And when I say legally living in the US, it means that this person is either a US citizen, is a permanent resident or a green card holder or is there in the US on a long term work visa such as H1 or L1. So this document which is given to you by somebody legally living in the US states that you can stay with them during your US trip. So it essentially means that they are willing to host you and give you accommodation during the duration of your trip. Now if you're applying for the business visa that is the B1 visa, invite letter can also be issued by the company to its employees asking them to come to the US for a meeting, you know for a conference, for an implementation or for a training. Invite letters can also be issued by organizations based in the US who are hosting a conference or exhibition or any other event. And let's say that you want to be part of that particular event then you get an invite letter from the organization asking you to come to the US. So to sum it up invite letters can be issued either by an individual or company or any US based organization asking you to come to the US and stating that they are willing to take care of your accommodation and your living situation. So next let's understand how does an invite letter help your visa application. So the essence of it is that invite letter helps your visa application by strengthening your purpose of visit and we all know how important it is to have a good strong purpose of visit to the US, right? So let's say that you plan to visit your brother or sister in the US and you have an invite letter from them which states that they want you to come to the US and that they are willing to host you, give you accommodation and take care of your day to day expenses. It just adds more credibility to your profile and to your purpose. Similarly, if you're planning to go on a company visit and you have an invite letter from the company stating that they want you to come to the US office for this particular meeting, implementation or project and the company is willing to give you accommodation and take care of your day to day expenses during the duration of your US trip, it just makes your purpose of visit stronger. So this is how invite letter essentially helps your visa application. Again a quick reminder that in the description box below we have a sample copy of an invite letter for both B1 and B2 visas and this will give you an idea of what exactly should be written in an invite letter so make sure you click that link and get your free download. Let's understand what documents do you need along with an invite letter and is having just an invite letter enough and the answer is that invite letter is just one part of your visa application. It basically states who you are going to visit and what is going to be your living and you know your accommodation situation but all the other parts of your visa application such as your financial proof, your ties to your home country, your job or business situation are also equally important and you will need documents to support them as well. So in essence just having an invite letter as a document is not enough you will need all the other supporting documents as part of your visa application. So we in fact have a very detailed video on this channel which talks about the document checklist for B1 and for B2 visas so I am going to link this video right above make sure that you check it out. Now we come to a really really important question and that is will an invite letter guarantee my visa and the short answer is no an invite letter cannot guarantee you a visa. Like I said it is just one part of your application along with the invite letter you will also need to show the visa officer that you have a strong purpose of visiting the United States and also have strong ties to your home country ensuring him that you are going to come back. In addition you also need to keep in mind that an invite letter is not a financial aid because it just states that the person is willing to give you accommodation but all the other aspects of your trip such as travel and you know living day to day expenses in the US are being taken care by you. In case the person is also funding your trip it is best to go with a sponsorship letter and a sponsorship letter is slightly different from an invite letter but guess what we have a full video on this channel on sponsorship letters and how you can use them and what all is involved in getting a sponsorship letter. So make sure you check out that video so that you can decide for yourself whether you need an invite letter or a sponsorship letter. So guys I am sure this video has helped you understand what exactly is an invite letter and whether you need it for your visa application. In case you have any more questions feel free to leave them in the comments section below I will get back to you. You can also DM me on Instagram my Instagram handle is at Shachi.mull and hey if you feel you want to talk to an expert to clear your doubts know what to say in the interview and get some special insider tips then hey I'm here for you you can talk to me you can book a one-to-one consultation session with me the link for this is also in the description box below. Thank you so much for watching do share this video and do check out all the other videos on the US visa process I'm sure they're gonna help you signing off for now I'll see you in the next one bye