# Should I write a letter for a former colleague confirming US residence for immigration purposes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012 "2025-05-30T18:01:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ThinLineBetween](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@ThinLineBetween](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThinLineBetween)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/41 "2025-11-10T23:11:10Z")
If you we born here, why not? If you weren’t, but you are a citizen, what’s the big deal? Lastly, this is not the best place to get advice for something you are that worried about. Chill out or talk to a lawyer. 2nd guessing, in my experience is a bad rabbit hole to go down. What happens when you 2nd guess your 2nd guessing? Is that 3rd guessing? At any rate, that is too much guessing. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/42 "2025-11-11T00:09:42Z")
> [@ThinLineBetween](#): > > If you we born here, why not? If you weren’t, but you are a citizen, what’s the big deal? I’m don’t understand the point you are trying to make. Can you explain? > [@](#): > > Lastly, this is not the best place to get advice for something you are that worried about. Thanks for the opinion, but I’ve been here close to 20 years. You’ve been here for an hour. I’ll trust my judgment of what this place is good for. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/43 "2025-11-11T01:57:11Z")
I’m afraid you’re half a year too late. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/44 "2025-11-11T02:06:12Z")
Huzzah! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/45 "2025-11-11T02:41:56Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > A follow up on this: I got a message from John today that he successfully got his kid citizenship, with my letter a helpful part of his supporting documentation. Hooray! Seriously. Not quite as seriously … Now comes the important part: getting him citizenship in another country so he has someplace safe to go when the USA turns to total shit. ---
**Author:** ![ThinLineBetween](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@ThinLineBetween](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThinLineBetween)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/46 "2025-11-11T09:13:17Z")
well, as another poster pointed out, I am “half a year too late” so why do you care? I was u nfmilir with this place and will continue to be. On the second point being somewhere “close to 20 years” is meaningless, if something is of perceived consequence, taking advice from an online forum is, probably perfect for you. So glad I only wasted an hour here . Good luck with your next 20 years here. ---
**Author:** ![dimike333](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dimike333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimike333)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/47 "2025-12-23T15:10:52Z")
If it’s true and you can personally stand behind it, write it as a statement of what you actually observed, not a “proof” letter. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-write-a-letter-for-a-former-colleague-confirming-us-residence-for-immigration-purposes/1019012/48 "2026-01-21T15:01:51Z")
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