Do informal letters like ‘he is great’, with no details, carry any weight?

In the EB-1, a generic and informal letter along the lines of ‘he is great’ with no further detail carries very little weight. The visa requires robust evidence of extraordinary recognition, and a vague phrase does not demonstrate the level of excellence the process demands.

What gives a recommendation letter its strength is specificity: describing what the professional’s contributions were, the real impact of their work, their technical expertise, and their recognition in the field, always supported by concrete examples. A letter like that helps sustain the narrative; a generic letter, at best, rounds out the package without proving anything on its own.

• Favor letters that explain contributions and impact with examples.
• Choose authors who can genuinely attest to your relevance in the field.
• Treat vague letters as supplementary material, never as central evidence.

Since each case is evaluated as a whole, it is worth reviewing the current EB-1 criteria on the USCIS website or consulting a specialist to build truly strong recommendations.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.