Letter Requests (J-1 Student)

Letter of Invitation

The United States Department of State which issues all visas to the United States through its embassies and consulates has stated that letters of invitation from universities are not necessary and are not reviewed as part of the decision-making process for granting a visitor (B2) visa.  From the Department of State Travel webpage: "Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant's residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa. If you choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember it is not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa."  If the embassy or consulate requests additional information from the Baylor, that will provide a secure system for Baylor to submit any documents so they can verify authenticity.

That being said, many students and scholars write their own letters of invitation and give it to their parents to take with them to their visa interview.  Students can use the link below to write their own invitation letter that a family member can have with them at the visa interview. The template for that letter can be found HERE.

Letter of Immigration Status

A student may request an official letter from the Baylor ISSS Office that serves as a letter of good standing with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A student is considered “in good standing” when the student is currently in-status with USCIS. Students should allow at least five (5) business days to process a letter of good standing.

Letter of Immigration Status Procedures

1. A student must submit a letter request through Global Bears to the Baylor ISSS Office.

2. An RO/ARO will review the information and determine whether the student is in status with USCIS.

3. The ARO/RO will then create the letter.

4. The student will be contacted by email to come to the Center for Global Engagement with his or her Baylor ID to pick up the letter.

Letter for Social Security Office

A student may request an official letter from the Baylor ISSS Office to present to the Social Security Office. This letter only applies to those who are working on-campus (graduate assistants, student workers, etc.) Students must also have a letter from the office/department that is employing them to take to the Social Security Office. Click HERE to get a template for your department/office to use. Students working on-campus do not have to wait for their Social Security Card to begin working but should apply for it as soon as possible. For students who are beginning their first semester of study at Baylor, due to processing times, students should not apply for their Social Security Card until 30 days after they begin classes.  For instructions on how to get a Social Security Card and the necessary documents, please go to the following link: Social Security Website and then scroll down to the section “How to Get a New, Replacement, or Corrected Card”, and click on the “Learn what documents you need” box. On the next page in the left column, select “Noncitizen” under the “Citizenship of the person the card is for” heading.

Letter for Social Security Office Procedures

1. Students must first be approved for On-Campus Work Authorization through Global Bears.

2. A student must submit a request through Global Bears to the Baylor ISSS Office.

3. An RO/ARO will review the information and determine if the student is fully registered and has already been approved to work on-campus.

4. The RO/ARO will then create the letter.

5. The student will be contacted by email to come to the Center for Global Engagement with his or her Baylor ID Card  to pick-up the letter.