Travel letters from Temple Departments can assist non-immigrant scholars and employees in the following ways:

  • Ease the visa interview process
  • Aid a US Consular Officer decide whether or not a security check (administrative processing) is needed
  • Facilitate readmission by a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agent at a US Point of Entry

Specific, standardized guidelines on the exact information that should be included in the letters have not been provided. However, below please find a suggested format and guidance for content if you are asked to write a letter by your a foreign national in your Department.

[On department, lab, or center letterhead:]

Date

To Whom It May Concern:

Paragraph #1:

  • Scholar's name and job title, the work that the scholar is doing at Temple University
  • Appointment/Employment dates
  • Amount of Temple University salary per annum and/or amount and source of any non-Temple University funding

Paragraph #2:

If the Individual is engaging in research, answer all four questions briefly. If the question does not apply to the applicant, please explain why it is not applicable.

 

  • What are the goals and practical applications of the applicant's research?
  • What are the source(s) of funding for the applicant's research?
  • What export-controlled technologies and/or information will the applicant have access to during his/her research?
  • What U.S. government projects will the applicant participate in or will have access to during his/her research? Please state whether non-U.S. citizens have access to the project.

 

Be sure to include the following in layman's terms:

  • A detailed and non-technical description of the research to be conducted by the scholar and whether it is basic research or applied research. If the research has no military or defense-related purposes, say so
  • A detailed description of how the scholar's qualifications match the requirements of the position

 

Paragraph #3:

  • Indicate that the individidual is expected to return to Temple University to continue research/employment/training and why a timely return to campus is important to the Department.
  • List contact information for the indvidual's supervisor.

Signature of the Individual's Supervisor