5 Practical Tips for a Visa Application Letter of Support

Undoubtedly, one of the most important components of any effective visa application is the letter of support. As a frequent traveler myself, I recommend preparing ahead of time, reaching out to possible sponsors (people who will support your stay) and completing paperwork, such as visa applications, ahead of time.

If you are planning to host a family member or friend from another country, or if you are a traveler looking to spend a prolonged period of time (often greater than 90 days) in a foreign country, a letter of support will explain the the situation and will describe how the stay will be funded.

The letter of the support should explain the relationship of the visitor and the sponsor, along with explaining the reason for the visit and detailed information on where the visitor will live, work (if applicable) and how they will survive financially.

For example, if you live in France and are wanting to sponsor your cousin from from Turkey who intends to study in your hometown of Paris for a semester, your letter will explain why your cousin is visiting and how you support your cousin during her visit. If your cousin will also receive support from the local school or college she is studying with, an additional letter of support from the school or college will also help secure the visa. While visa applications look different, across different countries, there are five practical tips you should consider when writing a letter of support for a traveler’s visa application. Explaining the situation and length of stay, describing how the traveler will fund their visit, including information on their accommodations and including evidence along with the letter of support will help ensure your visa is approved.

Describing, in enough detail to paint a picture, the situation of the traveler is extremely important. Outside of travel for strictly “tourism”, most countries do not want visitors in their country for prolonged periods of time without a purpose. In the letter of support, explain why the visitor is coming to your home country, what they will be doing while they are there and how long they intend to stay. In the example above, you may state, “I am writing to confirm that (insert name of visitor as it is on their passport), my cousin from Turkey, will arrive in July of 2015 and will study at the Paris Make-Up Academy from August of 2015 until January of 2015″.

Throughout her stay, she will stay with me in my home and I will provide room and board.” One of the chief reasons visa applications are rejected is because the host country is unable to verify how the visitor will fund their trip and where they will live. In the letter of support, if you plan to provide room and board, as in the example above, you must ensure this information is clearly explained on the letter.

Furthermore, if the traveler has emergency and travel funds in an account they can access and document, it is important to list this in the letter as well. For example, if your cousin receives 800 lira a month from rental property in Turkey and plans to access this to fund their stay, this information is extremely helpful to the host country. In my instance, I was able to stay in Germany for nearly a year because of a letter of support from my sister and because I able to document I was working part-time for a local military base.

Finally, for everything you mention in your letter of support, you MUST attach documentation. As the host country sponsor, providing a copy of your lease to show you have a permanent residence to host the traveler is extremely helpful.

On behalf of the traveler, ensure they know to attach copies of travel documentation, countries like to know when the traveler is planning to leave and how they will exit the country. If the traveler has documentation on why they are staying (school, work, etc.), ask them to attach any documentation they have to the letter. Finally, question the traveler about their financial situation and ask them to provide documentation for any source of funds you include in your letter.

Based off my experience, and my conversations with travelers worldwide, preparing ahead of time, reaching out to a sponsor and including an effective letter of support with documentation will help ensure you are able to enter, and remain for an extended period of time, the country of your choice!