Question: I want to
visit the United States for vacation this year. I am certain I can find a
relative or friend who will allow me to stay at their home, but I do
not have a formal invitation yet. Will I need to have a sponsor for my
visitor’s visa when I interview?
Answer: It is a common
misconception that you need someone to invite you for a visit to the
United States. In fact, there is no such requirement for a sponsor when
you apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor’s visa for business or pleasure
purposes.
What matters for the regular B-1/B-2
visitor’s visa is that you have a legitimate purpose of travel and that
you qualify independently for the visa regardless of whom you are going
to visit. If the reason you want to visit the United States is to visit
friends and family, then it stands to reason doing so will be an
important part of your legitimate purpose of travel. However, just
because a family member or friend has invited you, it does not
necessarily assist you to qualify for the visa under US law.
What is of greater interest to the
interviewing officer is not so much your reason for going to the United
States – it’s your reason for coming back to Nigeria that you need to
demonstrate. That’s why a letter of invitation to visit is not at all
necessary to apply for a visitor’s visa. What is needed is evidence of
strong ties to Nigeria – work, study, family, a future in this country.
You can demonstrate these strong ties by being prepared to explain to
the interviewing officer your current activities in Nigeria and your
plans to return to them after a short stay abroad.
Please note that while the regular
visitor’s visa does not require a sponsor, some other types of
non-immigrant visa do require an employer in the United States petition
for the visa applicant. Similarly, some student visas require that the
traveller be accepted to an accredited school in the United States,
which will then help process the formal paperwork needed to apply for a
visa.
Travellers on the visitor’s visa who are
travelling for business purposes may have a work-related purpose of
travel, such as a work conference or an employer-paid training, which is
an important part of why they need to travel. In such cases they will
have been invited to the conference or training by their employer.
