lindsays said:
What is the name of your state? Texas
I would like to financially sponsor a friend who would like to visit the US from Guatemala. He is an artesan cheese maker who would like to visit organic farms and cheese farms here in the US to improve his business back in Guatemala.
Will sending him a letter he can take to the interview at the embassy for the B2 visa help? What do I need to include in the letter to show that I will cover all expenses (business and leisure), will provide him a place to stay (with my family) and that I will also serve as a translator while he is touring farms? What information would I need to include to show I can financially cover him during his visit?
Thank you for your help.
lindsay
It sounds like a great trip! Hav eyou read the Gautemala Consulate's visa information?
http://guatemala.usembassy.gov/wwwhnive.html
"Do I qualify for a visa?
U.S. law assumes that every applicant wants to immigrate. Therefore, applicants must try to disprove that assumption by demonstrating:
That they have a well-established residence outside the U.S.
That the purpose of their visit to the U.S. is specifically for business or pleasure.
That they plan to stay in the U.S. for a specific, limited time.
That they have sufficient resources of their own to cover the cost of the trip, whether or not a friend or relative wants to help with the expenses."
and yet:
". Suggestions about documentation
The following are suggestions for the type of documents you may wish to present. There is no standard formula.
Documents from the United States, such as letters of invitation and business contracts, are useful in defining the purpose of your visit, but are less important than documents from Guatemala that demonstrate your economic situation and your family and professional ties. Successful applicants show that they have specific travel plans and that they have strong commitments to Guatemala that obligate them to return. The following documents can be helpful (originals preferred):
Your previous passports and visas and passports and
visas of family members
Letters of employment or professional identification
Proof of enrollment in school
Bank checking and savings accounts
Automobile titles
Business licenses
Deeds to houses or land
Receipts for business taxes
Receipts for salaries or retirement benefits
Marriage certificates and birth certificates for minor children
Correspondence regarding the purpose of your visit
Detailed information about your travel plans"
We've just had a hard time bringing a friend here from Mexico for a similar type of visit. Mexico's Consulates have much stronger warnings against invitation letters, but I would say that Guate seems to have a lot to say on the subject, compared to a lot of Consulates, who give you no hint. Mooch around the website and see what else you can find and how you can document your friend's ties to his home country. Remember that the burden is on him to prove that he is not an immigrant; it is assumed in law that he is.
Bon viaje!
PS: our friend from Mexico just got his visa today!
