Can I provide a Letter of Invitation for B-2 Visa?

[mhatch]

I made a friend while traveling in South America and ended up doing and informal homestay with his family in Bogota, Colombia. He would like to apply for a US visa before his passport expires. He has family members in the US who he could ask, but he's asked me because he thought it would be easier to have a native US citizen to make the process easier.

1. I am planning to go to school and still looking for work, so I'm financially unable to be his sponsor but I can still send him an invitation letter, right?
   
2. How close of friends do we need to be?
   
3. Do I need to invite him to stay at my house (which is my parents' right now) the entire visit? Do I need to imply that I will travel with him while he's here?
   
4. Is there a chance that I will be interviewed?

[peace999]

I assume he wants to go for a visitor visa.
Be aware that , this category requires a non-immigrant intent. Meaning, that the job and family situation, age, marital status, purpose of visit of the applicant should not suggest that he/she will not return to home country.
You will not be interviewed, but he will be and his application will have the following problems;
a)Going to US just to visit a casual acquaintance, sounds very unnatural and raises the suspicion of an immigrant intent. More so, if you are a US citizen , you maybe in a position to help him stay back in US.
b) Young age, single marital status ( I assume) are negatives. But if he has a stable, well paying job or business in colombia, he can ask one of his relatives in US to send him an invitation letter for a short visit of 2-3 weeks and pay for the trip himself .

[mhatch]

Yes, he wants a visitor's visa but I'm not sure for how long he wants to travel and what his financial/job status is. I do know that he definitely doesn't want to immigrate, just travel visiting his family and maybe me if it's financially and logistically possible. I guess inviting someone implies that the person definitely will visit me. Thanks for the response.

[peace999]

Yes, he wants a visitor's visa but I'm not sure for how long he wants to travel and what his financial/job status is. I do know that he definitely doesn't want to immigrate, just travel visiting his family and maybe me if it's financially and logistically possible. I guess inviting someone implies that the person definitely will visit me. Thanks for the response.

For a visitor visa, everyone is presumed a potential immigrant and in the interview one
must override this assumtion. The officers deduce this from your situation rather than the documents you present.