lev-os Immigration Support Letter
Drafts first-person support letters as testimonial evidence in U.S. immigration matters. Letters establish writer credibility, corroborate specific facts, and close with a penalty-of-perjury declaration.
Quick Start
Gather before drafting:
- Writer identity — full legal name, title/relationship, address, phone, email
- Immigration benefit — family petition, employment-based, asylum, hardship waiver, removal defense, naturalization
- Applicant — full name, A-Number (if known), country of origin
- Key facts — dates, locations, observations, employment details, or hardship circumstances
- Recipient — USCIS office, immigration court, consular post, or "To Whom It May Concern"
If any of these are missing, ask before drafting.
Letter Structure
Header
- Writer's name, title, organization (if applicable), address, contact info
- Date
- Addressee
- Re: [Applicant Name] / [Petition Type] / [A-Number]
Opening
- Writer identity, relationship to applicant, letter purpose — one paragraph
- Basis of knowledge (years known, capacity)
Body by Letter Type
| Type | Required Specifics |
|---|---|
| Employment verification | Title, start/end dates, duties, salary, performance, future intent |
| Family relationship | How writer knows both parties, duration, shared experiences, details only a genuine witness would know |
| Character reference | Concrete anecdotes of moral character, community ties, contributions — no vague praise |
| Extreme hardship | Specific medical, financial, educational hardships from denial/removal; tie each to applicant or qualifying relative |
| Asylum corroboration | Dates, locations, incidents witnessed; basis for fear; country conditions known to writer |
Specificity rule: Adjudicators weigh specific dates, locations, and named incidents over general praise. Every claim must be grounded in the writer's personal knowledge.
Closing
- Statement of support
- Offer to provide additional information or appear
- Perjury declaration (required): "I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief."
- Signature block: printed name, title, date, space for wet signature
Pitfalls and Checks
- Personal knowledge only — flag any claim the writer cannot personally attest to
- No exaggeration — false statements constitute immigration fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1001, INA § 274C)
- Notarization — not required but recommended for employment and character letters; flag the option
- Letterhead — use for employer/organizational letters; individuals use block format
- Length — 1–3 pages; detailed enough to matter, short enough to hold attention
- Jurisdiction — U.S. federal (USCIS, EOIR, DOS); tailor salutation to the adjudicating body