What is a visa support letter

A visa support letter is a formal endorsement of a foreign individual’s visa application written by a citizen of the country the applicant wishes to move to, work in, or visit.

As an employer seeking to hire foreign talent, you can write a visa support letter to support your candidate’s immigration bid. Used this way, this letter is also called a visa sponsorship letter.

What is the purpose of a visa support letter?

A visa support letter endorses and validates an applicant’s visa request. It vouches for them and convinces immigration officials to allow them to enter a host country.

When written by an employer, a visa support letter provides a lawful and genuine invitation to a visa applicant to engage in an economically gainful activity in the host country.

Employers use visa support letters to recruit global talent. Whether hiring employees, digital nomads, or independent contractors, these letters help you improve the chances of visa approval.

See also: How to hire global talent without an entity

Is a visa support letter a required visa application document?

No. A visa support letter is not a visa application requirement, and visas can be approved without it.

Nonetheless, we recommend including it in every employment-based visa application to improve your chances of approval.

See also: How to hire independent contractors legally worldwide

What is the difference between an offer letter and a visa support letter?

An offer letter is a formal invitation to a job applicant that defines the terms of their prospective employment. This letter outlines the job title, responsibilities, benefits, wage offer, and other terms of employment.

In contrast, a visa support letter is the first form of ongoing visa support you offer to a candidate who has already accepted your job offer but is located outside the country. You address this letter to immigration officers, such as your country's embassy or consulate in the candidate's home country.

See also: 4 steps to easy visa renewals for enterprise employees

When is a visa support letter necessary?

Different situations call for a visa support letter. As an employer, you send this letter when you wish to:

1. Hire a foreign specialty worker

2. Relocate an employee to a foreign country

3. Host a remote worker in the country for an on-site meeting or project

Your visa support letter should establish how the applicant qualifies for the job you want them to do and why it is necessary for them, and no one else, to do it.

You may also write a visa support letter for your employees' dependents (eligible spouses and children) who wish to live in the country.

In Germany, a visa support letter must demonstrate that the invitee (you) will financially support the applicant during their stay in the country, either directly or through a job.

In Japan, where the letter is called a letter of guarantee, it must establish that the applicant will abide by the country’s laws during their stay and can afford to eventually return to their home country.

See also: How to offer visa support to your employees’ dependents

Who can write a visa support letter?

Any legal permanent resident or citizen of the country a visa applicant wishes to visit can write a visa support letter. This person must be able to prove their citizenship or legal resident status and demonstrate their relationship to the applicant. In this sense, entities that can write a visa support letter include:

1. Friends or family of the applicant

2. Companies and employers (for a foreign worker)

3. Education institutions like colleges and universities (for a student)

4. Event and conference organizers (for an attendee)

When writing a support letter for a foreign worker, you must demonstrate a willingness to offer them a full-time job in your company for a reasonable duration.

Deel HR and Immigration experts can help you formulate this letter and accompanying supporting documents, such as a valid global employment contract.

How do visa support letters impact global hiring?

By improving the chances of a visa approval, visa support letters allow you to grow your team.

They open up a large pool of international talent with specialized knowledge and unique skills you can use to achieve your company goals.

In supporting international assignments, visa support letters allow you to deploy key company personnel and expand into new, untapped markets.

See how Bowtie Life Insurance uses Deel to attract and hire global talent.

“Deel significantly streamlines our hiring and onboarding processes, a vital advantage in a competitive market. It allows us to not only hire new talent but also retain current employees looking to relocate,”

—Sara Choi, Senior Manager Talent Acquisition & Development, Bowtie

How does a visa support letter support team performance?

Visa support letters allow you to import the skills and knowledge your team needs to meet its goals. This is especially important when a specific skill set is crucial to a project but is unavailable locally.

By importing this talent, you can also create inclusion, cultural diversity, and a fresh flow of ideas for your team. This distributed workforce can power innovation, problem-solving, and cooperation.

See also: 8 ways to find and hire remote international talent

Do you need to write a visa support letter for remote employees?

If your remote employees occasionally travel to the country for on-site meetings or projects, they may require nonimmigrant visas and visa support letters to endorse their applications.

Deel can help you confirm the visa options available to your remote workers and their application requirements. Our immigration experts can also initiate visa application processes on your behalf.

See also: 5 ways to make remote work more enjoyable

What is included in a visa support letter?

The content of a visa support letter varies depending on the type of letter, its author, and the reason it is being written. In an employment-based support letter, the following details are crucial:

1. The applicant’s full name, job title, and country of origin

2. Your name and contact information

3. The company’s registered name and address

4. Confirmation of a valid job offer sent to the applicant (relationship)

5. Your reasoning for why the applicant should be granted a visa

6. The type of support you plan to offer the applicant during their stay

Always write a visa support letter on official company letterhead, ensuring to sign, stamp, date, and notarize it for authenticity. Some embassies and consulates may also have specific requirements on the content and structure of a visa support letter, which you must follow.

Always write a visa support letter on official company letterhead, ensuring to sign, stamp, date, and notarize it for authenticity. Some embassies and consulates may also have specific requirements on the content and structure of a visa support letter, which you must follow.

To streamline the writing process, outsource these and other visa support functions to Deel HR and People experts. We monitor immigration policies across 150+ jurisdictions and are familiar with the visa processes for different visa categories and needs.

What role does HR play in issuing visa support letters?

HR writes visa support letters for a company's global hires. The more specific these letters are, the higher the chances of a visa approval. Therefore, HR is often tasked with:

1. Formulating accurate job offers for global hires

2. Documenting a candidate’s qualifications

3. Monitoring immigration policies and how they may impact the visa application process

4. Liaising with embassies and consulates to streamline visa requests

5. Working with immigration experts to submit required sponsorship documentation

6. Providing ongoing visa support to new global hires

With Deel’s all-in-one platform, you can automate these and other mobility support tasks to streamline the sponsorship process. Get started with a demo to learn more.

What challenges might you face writing a visa support letter?

Language barriers and evolving immigration laws can complicate the process of issuing accurate visa support letters. Other challenges you might face include:

1. Lengthy visa application times coupled with time constraints on your end

2. Insufficient information about the visa applicant

3. Extensive documentation requirements in some jurisdictions

If these challenges force you to write an inaccurate or inconsistent visa support letter, you may harm the applicant's chances of visa approval. You can avoid this hurdle by reviewing your support letter with the applicant before their interview to ensure accuracy, but this adds to the time constraints.

Deel can liaise with visa applicants on your behalf, confirming key details, coordinating mock interviews, and gathering required supporting documentation.

How can Deel streamline your visa support policies?

Deel offers 360-degree HR and mobility support to help you recruit and retain foreign talent, deploy international assignees, and expand your company globally.

Our Immigration and HR experts are familiar with the visa application processes of over 150+ jurisdictions. We can help you write timely and effective visa support letters for your global hires.

Learn more today by contacting the team or booking a demo.