What is a Letter of Support?

A letter of support for immigration is a type of recommendation letter that is written on behalf of an individual to support their application for immigration.

The letter gives light to the positive characteristics of the immigrant to help convince the immigration officer to approve the application. Some of the good characteristics that may be mentioned in the letter of support include work ethics, trustworthiness, morality, etc.

So, if you, a family member, or a friend needs help with their immigration application, then the best way to help is by writing a letter of support for immigration.

The individual who signs the affidavit of support becomes the sponsor once the intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident.

REASONS WHY A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRATION IS NEEDED:

• Naturalization
• Confirmation of employment
• Proof of marriage or spousal
• Relationship
• Proof of residency, etc.

WHAT SHOULD LETTERS OF SUPPORT INCLUDE?

• Unique information: something different than all of the other letters;
• It should be made personal and captivating: so as not to sound like you are presenting a list of claims; the letter of support you should be writing must be an interesting formal letter;
• Information about the history of how you are related to the immigrant: professionally and personally;
• Positive qualities: ethics, trustworthiness, morality, etc;
• The person’s full name and full address if they are a lawful permanent resident or a United States citizen.

WHO CAN WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT?

• Family, parents, grandparents, friends, and family members from both sides of the family;
• It doesn’t just have to be from the petitioner, the United States citizen, or lawful permanent resident;
• Ideally someone who has known the immigrating person for a longer time and is really close to him/her

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRATION

1. USE A FORMAL LETTER FORMAT: You’ll be writing to a formal audience, so the most

appropriate type of letter format to use is a formal letter format

2. MAKE AN APPROPRIATE INTRODUCTION: Greet and present yourself. This is how you will greet and address your audience. If you know the name of the recipient of the letter then, you can use their last name in the greeting.
3. 
   TELL A STORY ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT: After writing something about yourself, proceed to tell a story about the immigrant. Remember that it should be a captivating personal declaration.
   
   4. REVISE AND PROOFREAD: Check for spelling and grammar errors. Your letter should make sense, and it should be presented in the right way.

4. FINALIZE YOUR LETTER OF SUPPORT: When you are satisfied with your draft, finalize your letter by transferring it to a clean sheet of paper. Take note of the margin, font style, font size, and indentions appropriate for the letter.