Form ISSS-301, Invitation Letter Guidance
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900
Phone: (386)226-6579
DBISS@erau.edu
Invitation Letter Guidance
The U.S. Department of State advised universities to inform students that an invitation letter issued by
the SEVIS ARO or SEVIS DSO is not required for family members or friends interested in visiting the U.S.
for family visits. In order to comply with the U.S. Department of State’s request, International Student &
Scholar Services will not issue invitation letters to invite friends and family members. However, we have
prepared the guidance below to assist you with the process to invite your friends and family members to
visit you in the U.S.
P.S. The Records and Registration office will provide letters for Graduation Purposes ONLY. All other
purposes of visiting the U.S, please use the guidance below.
Do my family and friends need to apply for a visa to visit me?
It depends. If your family or friends are citizens of countries which extend visa travel waivers to U.S.
citizens, then they will not need to apply for a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), but will need
to request a travel approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
More information about the Visa Waiver Program is available at the link below:
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/visit/visa-waiver-program.html
Visitors with citizenship from countries which do not participate in the VWP should apply for a B-2
Tourist visa to come to the United States. The procedures and documentation needed to apply for a B-2
Visa may vary between embassies/consulates. Please have your family and friends review the
application details of the nearest embassy/consulate. For more information, please visit the website
“How to Apply for U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa” at http://ceac.state.gov/genniv/.
If your spouse and/or dependent children (under the age of 21) would like to visit you or join you for an
extended amount of time, they are eligible to come to the U.S. as an F-2 or J-2 visa. You may submit a
request for dependent I-20 by completing the appropriate service form.
Form ISSS-301, Invitation Letter Guidance
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900
Phone: (386)226-6579
DBISS@erau.edu
Sample Invitation Letter
(Date)
Consular Officer
United States (Consulate or Embassy)
(City), (Country)
Dear Consul,
My name is (your name), and I am a (F1 or J1) (student or scholar) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University, Daytona Beach, pursuing a (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral) degree in (field of study).A
transcript, enrollment verification letter and a copy of my (I-20 or DS-2019) are attached as proof of my
enrollment at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
I wish to invite the following individual(s) to (example: my graduate ceremony at Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University, to visit me for summer vacation, etc.):
First Name, LAST NAME (as it appears in passport):
Date of Birth:
Relationship to you:
My guest(s) will be visiting me from (month/day/year) until (month/day/year) and will stay at (my
residence or other location) during the duration of their visit. The costs of their visit will be covered by
(financial information). Please see the attached financial documentation for more details.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the attached visa application.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
Revised version: 9/17/2018
