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The short answer
When you invite a relative from Nigeria, the visa officer mainly assesses the visitor, but your support can help: a signed letter saying who you are, your status, where they will stay and who pays, with recent bank statements that show where your money comes from and proof of income such as payslips or an employment letter. The US says an invitation letter is not needed at all, while Canada's super visa requires the host to meet a minimum income.
Hosts often believe a strong invitation letter wins a visa. In most systems it does not: the officer decides whether the visitor will leave at the end of the trip and can be supported while there. Your role is to make the funding and accommodation clear and believable. What that evidence looks like differs by country, so this guide goes through the main destinations and then the documents that work everywhere.
Country by country
United States
The State Department's visitor visa page says "a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa" and is not a factor in the decision. Applicants qualify on their own ties abroad, not on assurances from family in the US. The page does say another person may pay some or all of the trip costs, so if you are paying, the visitor can explain that at interview and bring evidence such as your bank statements.
Canada
IRCC's letter of invitation page asks the host to give the visitor's name, date of birth, address, phone, relationship, purpose and length of visit, where they will stay, how they will pay and when they will leave, plus the host's own details, job, status in Canada with a copy of the status document, and the names and dates of birth of the host's spouse and dependants. IRCC says a letter does not guarantee a visa. For a super visa, the letter must also include a promise of financial support and the household size, and the host must meet a minimum necessary income, for example C$38,002 for a household of two in the table updated 29 July 2025. IRCC prefers a Notice of Assessment as proof.
United Kingdom
The Standard Visitor page says the visitor must show they can support themselves or that someone else is funding the trip. The Home Office guide to supporting documents (updated 8 October 2026) says financial documents should show access to funds, such as "bank statements which detail the origin of the funds held", and lists credit card statements, photocopies of bank cards and statements more than a year old among less useful documents. Documents not in English or Welsh need a full translation with the translator's confirmation, date, name, signature and contact details.
Ireland
The Irish Immigration Service asks for a signed application letter from the visitor stating, among other things, who is paying, and the applicant's bank statement on headed paper covering the last six months. A host who is funding the trip usually adds their own letter and evidence.
The documents that usually help
| Document | What it shows | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Signed invitation letter | Relationship, purpose, dates, accommodation, who pays | Match the dates to the visitor's form exactly |
| Your status document | That you are lawfully resident | Share code or permit copy, as the country asks |
| Recent bank statements | Money available and where it came from | Large unexplained deposits shortly before the application raise questions |
| Payslips or employment letter | Regular income | Employer letter on headed paper with salary and start date |
| Tenancy or mortgage statement | Where the visitor will stay | Show space for the visitor |
| Proof of relationship | Birth certificate linking you | Certified translation if needed |
The visitor's own evidence matters as much: their job or pension in Nigeria, property, family ties and travel history. A host's money cannot make up for weak ties at home.
Common mistakes
- Depositing a large sum just before applying, which looks borrowed. Officers prefer a steady pattern.
- Promising more support than your income can carry. A super visa host must meet the published minimum; for other visas, a figure that does not fit your payslips weakens the letter.
- Letters that contradict the form on dates, address or who pays.
- Sending statements that cannot be checked. Officers can ask for originals or verify documents with the bank.
Worked example
Example only. Bisi in Calgary invites her father for a super visa. Her household is her, her husband and one child; with her father that is four, so the minimum necessary income in IRCC's July 2025 table is C$56,724. Their Notice of Assessment shows C$71,000, above the minimum. Her letter promises support for the whole stay, lists the four people by name and date of birth, and attaches her PR card copy, his birth certificate and the insurance policy.
Where Pryme fits
If you will pay for the trip, statements that show steady income and where the money came from help most. Through Pryme's partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, any Pryme customer can generate a verifiable statement that the receiving officer can check is genuine and unaltered (receipts and statements). Pryme accounts can be opened from any country; outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners. See also proof of funds from a Nigerian account, proving support to family with remittance records and the full cost of hosting parents.
Questions people ask
Does my mum need an invitation letter for a US visa?
No. The State Department says an invitation letter or affidavit of support is not needed and is not a factor. She qualifies on her own ties to Nigeria.
What should a Canadian invitation letter include?
IRCC lists the visitor's details, purpose, length and where they will stay, how they will pay, and the host's details, job, status and family members.
How much income do I need to sponsor my parents' super visa?
It depends on household size, including the visitor. IRCC's table updated 29 July 2025 starts at C$30,526 for one person; check the current table before applying.
Should my invitation letter be notarised?
None of the official pages cited here require it. Follow the specific checklist for your visa route.
Sources
- US State Department: Visitor visa · accessed Oct 2026
- IRCC: Letter of invitation · accessed Oct 2026
- IRCC: Super visa, who can apply · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Visiting the UK, guide to supporting documents · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor · accessed Oct 2026
- Irish Immigration Service: Short stay C visit visa · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.