To prove a relationship, such as a bona fide marriage As confirmation of employment or residence As evidence of abuse (emotional or physical) To confirm a credible fear of persecution held by a person seeking asylum
Additionally, you may also ask the requestor for a resume or other background information. You can use this information to guide the writing process.
If you are the applicant’s employer, then you should put the letter on company or organizational letterhead.
Also state how long you have known the requestor, referencing dates, locations, job titles, etc. Sample language might be: “My name is Reverend Michael Smith. I am a U. S. citizen and a pastor at the United Methodist Church of Boston, Massachusetts. ” Alternately, if you are an employer, you would state, “I am Carol Smith, assistant director of human resources at ABC Corp. , where I have supervised Andrea Smith for the past three years, from April 2012 to present. ”
You could write, “I have met few people with as much compassion as Rosa Martinez. After attending my church for only two weeks, she volunteered for the soup kitchen and within two months was the lead volunteer on the weekend shift. It was in this capacity that Ms. Martinez found herself alone with a man who was deeply depressed and suicidal. After calling me, she stayed with the man for two hours until I was able to summon medical personnel to assist. ” You may also be called upon to write a letter about the requestor’s relationship with a spouse. Sometimes, immigration officials claim that a marriage is a sham perpetrated to help one party get a green card. In this situation, you would want to write about the requestor’s relationship. Accordingly, you could state, “The bond Kelly Smith shares with her new husband, Adam Crouch, is impressive. As their friend and neighbor for the past two years, I have seen them gardening together, going for long walks, and sitting down to dinner nearly every night. When they came to my wedding anniversary party, they held hands and talked easily with the guests. It was as if I were seeing me and my husband in the early stages of our marriage. ” If you are writing to offer evidence of abuse, then you should explain why you think the applicant suffered trauma in his or her home country. You should translate medical diagnoses into layperson’s terms. Provide specifics. For example, you might report that the person suffers from nightmares, weight loss, and other signs of anxiety.
It is also important to give an opinion on the requestor’s honesty and trustworthiness, using specifics. For example, do not simply state, “Mr. Alcott has a fine moral character and cares about people. ” That is too vague. You will need details to show the reader why you believe the requestor has the character traits you say he does. [3] X Research source Instead, you could write: “The first six months Mr. Alcott drove the shuttle bus from the homeless shelter to the soup kitchen across town. He was timely and always friendly with both the staff and our clients. Once, a client lost his wallet on the bus. After Mr. Alcott found it, he immediately turned it in to me. No money was missing. ”
If the letter is in support naturalization, then you could state, “In my opinion, Mr. Alcott would be a credit to the country. Accordingly, I recommend that he be naturalized as a citizen of the United States as soon as possible. ”
After adding the contact information, insert “Sincerely” and then space down a few lines and type your name.
If you want to have the letter notarized, then hold off on signing and take the letter to a notary public. Be sure to bring sufficient personal identification. A valid driver’s license or passport should be sufficient. To find a notary near you, use the locator from the American Society of Notaries. Notaries may also be found at most large banks as well as at courthouses.
