Visa Invitation Letters for U.S. Trade Shows
Travelling to a United States trade show from abroad usually means showing a consulate why you are coming. ET EXPO offers two different kinds of help with that. This page explains both once; each show's own page adds what that show's organiser publishes, its dates, and the request buttons.
What an invitation letter is
This letter is provided as a business invitation/supporting document only. It does not guarantee visa issuance, admission to the United States, or approval by any government authority.
A consular officer decides who receives a visa. Neither ET EXPO nor the show organiser has any part in that decision, and nobody who tells you otherwise is telling you the truth.
Official Organizer Invitation Letter Assistance
USD $100
Most large United States trade shows run their own invitation-letter process, usually tied to a paid registration. This service is ET EXPO doing that process with you: checking you qualify, preparing what the organiser asks for, submitting it, and following it up until the organiser answers.
The letter comes from the show organiser, not from ET EXPO. The organiser decides whether to issue one and what it says. We are paid for the work of handling the process, and we tell you exactly where it has got to at every stage.
- We confirm what your show requires this year, from the organiser's own published process.
- We prepare and submit your request, and chase it.
- You see the status change as it moves, including while it is with the organiser and out of our hands.
The fee covers ET EXPO's work in preparing and handling your request. It is not a government fee and does not purchase a decision.
ET EXPO Business Invitation Letter
USD $100
A business invitation letter written and signed by ET EXPO, on ET EXPO letterhead, describing the business relationship and the purpose of your visit to the show.
This is our letter, not the organiser's. It is useful where the organiser does not issue letters, where their deadline has passed, or alongside theirs as supporting evidence of a genuine business purpose.
- Reviewed by a person before it is issued. Nothing is generated and signed automatically.
- Issued as a PDF you download from your own account.
- We do not ask for your passport number or a scan of your passport, and there is nowhere in this system to store one.
The fee covers ET EXPO's work in preparing and handling your request. It is not a government fee and does not purchase a decision.
Which one do I need?
- The show issues letters and the deadline has not passed - organizer assistance. A letter from the organiser carries their name.
- The show does not issue letters, or the deadline has passed - the ET EXPO business letter.
- You are visiting us as a client or supplier as well as attending - the ET EXPO business letter describes that relationship, which the organiser's letter will not.
Buying both is possible and occasionally sensible, but it is two fees. If you are unsure, ask us before paying for either.
Before you book anything
- Start with the appointment wait, not the letter. Visa interview waits vary from days to many months depending on the consulate. Check your own consulate's current wait before you plan around your show.
- Check whether you need a visa at all. Visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries usually travel on an approved ESTA instead.
- An invitation letter is one supporting document. It sits alongside your own evidence of employment, ties and funds - it does not replace them.
- Book refundable travel. Until a visa is issued, nothing about the trip is certain.
ET EXPO is not a law firm and does not give immigration advice. For advice about your own case, speak to a licensed immigration attorney.
Find your show
Open your show from the exhibitor deadlines list; its visa invitation letter page shows the organiser's own process and where to request either letter.