USA Tourist Visa – Sponsor Documents

The following documents need to be sent from the person who is sponsoring his/her relatives (or anyone else such as friends) to visit the United States. Please send these documents to the person whom you are sponsoring. Do not send it to the US Embassy or Consulate. Please send completed and legible documents. Wherever possible, send computer printed or typed documents to avoid any confusion. Also, please try to send the most current documents. Any documents like an employment letter, pay stubs, bank letter, etc. must be less than 6 months old.

If you are sponsoring multiple people at the same time (such as both of your parents), you should send separate I-134 forms for each person. However, you can just send one set of supporting documents for both of them.

Form I-134, Affidavit of Support Form
You will need to show that you can financially support your relatives while they are in the US You need to fill a form called “Affidavit of Support form (I-134)” for that purpose. One form should be filled for each applicant. So, even though your parents are applying together, you need to send two forms. Some consulates say that if you are applying for a family (such as parents, in-laws, etc.), you have to submit only one I-134 and not for each person. However, there is no harm in providing one for everyone, instead of taking chances.

Notary: You do not need to get your Form I-134 notarized.

• Employment Letter
  Statement from your employer (1 original for each applicant) on business stationery, showing:
  
  • Date and nature of employment
  • Salary paid
  • Whether a position is temporary or permanent
    Sample employment letter
  • Pay Stubs
    Recent pay stubs. 3 or 4 should be enough.
  • Bank Letter
    Letter from your Bank (1 original for each applicant) on their business stationery, giving the following details:
    
    • Date account opened
    • Total amount deposited for the past year
    • Present balance
    • Average balance last year

    Some banks may take a long time to provide such a letter. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare well in advance.

    • Bank Statements
      Send the bank statements for the last 6 months. It should have a good balance at least for the last 6 months. Do not deposit money into your bank account the day before to show a big balance, only to withdraw it the next day. You really should have money to show your financial strength to be able to support the people you are sponsoring. While there is no specific guideline to how much money you should have in the bank, it should be enough to take care of all their expenses. Something like $5,000/person should be good enough.

    One letter should be enough for both of your parents. If your relatives don’t understand English, it may be helpful to send the translation of the letter in your native language because the consular officer may question that your parents might have never read the letter.

    If you did not file a tax return, a written explanation describing why you had no legal duty to file the return is needed. If you filed a late or amended tax return, you should submit evidence of this.

    If you are a non-US citizen: Your original birth certificate. If you are sponsoring your in-laws, your spouse’s original birth certificate is required instead.

    If you are on an H1 or L1, a copy of the latest H1/L1 visa approval notice (I-797 Notice of Action).

    If you are at an adjustment of status (I-485 stage), send copies of the I-485 receipt, EAD card and Advance Parole. These may not be required, but it does not hurt to send them.

    • Spouse Documents
      If you are sponsoring your spouse’s relatives (such as in-laws), photocopies of all pages (including blank pages) of your spouse’s passport and your marriage certificate.

    How useful was this post?

    Click on a star to rate it!