Invitation Letter

[mirgcire]

Hi have an online conversation partner who brought up a surprise topic today. She says she is applying for a China passport so she can come to the US and she wants an invitation letter. Her English is pretty minimal and I didn't get much out of her in chinese on this topic. Apparently, she wants is a 邀请函. I am not going to give this to her, but I don't want to say "no" outright (and loose a good partner) so I am wondering if anyone can supply some of the missing details ... is she applying for a passport or a visa? If it is really a passport, I can't imagine why she needs the letter. If it is a visa, what are the requirements of the author? I told her to send an example letter, but all I got was this: 愿意承担一切后果,特此证明, which there is no way I would write.

[Marietta]

I dont really know the american nor the chinese visa and passport issues, but I know a lot about those in the EU:

I suppose that your friend wants to ask for a visa, and in the EU the invitation letter is a very serious and official thing, its something that you have to take all the responsibilities during her stay in there ( the "invitor" has to give all his/her personal data's, and these are also officially registered.)

I have seen a plenty of invitation letter, and all of them was written by very close family members, or companies who wanted to employ those people.

So I suggest you to be careful!

[mirgcire]

Thanks Marrietta, I have no intention of writing the letter. Just looking for some additional information so can politely decline. But also because I am curious about the process.

[roddy]

There's a sample somewhere on a US government site, I had to look at it once. Basically who you are, state that you have $XXXXX income, relationship to the visitor, purpose of their visit, and a promise to cover all expenses arising from their trip.

[Lu]

From what I know, in Europe at least you need a certain amount of income and proof of a relationship to this person (friends, parents of your partner, whatever), plus, as explained above, you are responsible for the visitor getting on the plane back to China again.

Perhaps you can let it rest for now, if she asks about it again you can say you need more information, without being too specific. With some luck, either it turns out to be too difficult for her to begin with, or there will be some requirement that you can convincingly say you don't meet. (For example, perhaps there is no proof that you really know her, or your income is too low/not regular enough, whatever.)