Creating a guest invitation registers your visitor with the front desk and generates a QR code they use to check in. This guide walks through filling out the invitation form, adding visitor details, selecting dates within allowed schedules, and answering any custom questions your housing office requires.
Invitations work for single visitors or groups visiting together. You can invite parents for family weekend, friends for a day visit, or siblings staying overnight.
You must have guest invitation privileges to create invitations. If you see a message saying "You are not allowed to invite visitors," contact your residence life office.
Before You Start
Your housing office sets policies for when visitors are allowed and how long they can stay. Check these before creating an invitation to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Gather the information you'll need for each visitor: full legal name matching their photo ID, email address, phone number, and date of birth. You may also need to answer questions about parking, dietary needs, or emergency contacts depending on your institution's forms.
Opening the Invitation Form
Click Visitors or Guests in the left navigation menu of your resident portal.
Click the New Invitation button to open the invitation form.
The form appears as a modal or full-page form depending on your device. You'll see sections for visitor information, visit dates, and any custom questions.
Entering Visitor Information
Fill out basic details for your first visitor.
Full Name
Enter your visitor's complete legal name exactly as it appears on their photo ID.
Front desk staff will verify this name when your guest checks in, so accuracy matters. Use the format they prefer and that matches their identification.
Email Address
Enter a valid email address where your visitor can receive the invitation.
Double-check the email for typos. If the address is wrong, your visitor won't receive their QR code and cannot check in.
Phone Number
Enter your visitor's mobile phone number.
Phone numbers enable text message delivery of the QR code and help with emergency contact during the visit. This field may be required or optional depending on your institution's policy.
Date of Birth
Enter your visitor's date of birth using the date picker.
This helps front desk staff verify identity and ensures accurate visitor records. The system calculates age automatically.
Selecting Visit Dates and Times
Choose when your visitor will arrive and leave campus.
Arrival Date and Time
Click the arrival date and time picker.
Select the day and time when your guest will check in at the front desk.
The date picker shows your institution's allowed visitor hours. Dates and times outside these windows appear grayed out or disabled. Choose a realistic arrival time that accounts for travel.
Departure Date and Time
Click the departure date and time picker.
Select when your guest will check out and leave campus.
The system calculates the total visit duration. If your visit exceeds your institution's maximum allowed hours, an error message appears and you cannot submit the invitation.
Grayed-out dates are blocked for visitors due to finals week, breaks, or campus policies. If your desired dates are unavailable, check with your residence life office about exceptions.
Understanding Blocked Dates
Your housing office configures exclusion dates when visitors are not allowed. These appear grayed out in the date picker with a tooltip or message explaining the restriction.
Common blocked periods include final exam weeks, winter and spring breaks, move-in and move-out days, and campus-wide special events.
If you need to invite someone during a blocked period, contact your residence life office. They can advise whether exceptions are possible.
Inviting Multiple Visitors
To invite more than one person for the same visit dates, use the multiple visitor feature.
Fill out the first visitor's information completely.
Click the Add Another Visitor or Another Visitor button below the first visitor's section.
Enter the second person's name, email, phone, and date of birth in the new form that appears.
Repeat this process to add as many visitors as needed. All visitors on the same invitation share the same arrival and departure times, and each receives their own QR code via email.
Use multiple visitors when inviting family members or a group of friends visiting together. This keeps their invitations organized and ensures they all have the same schedule.
Answering Custom Questions
Your housing office may include custom questions on the invitation form. These questions collect information needed for your visitor's stay.
Common Questions
Typical custom questions include:
Parking and Vehicle Information — Will your visitor need parking? If yes, provide vehicle make, model, color, and license plate number.
Dietary Restrictions — Does your visitor have food allergies or dietary needs if they'll eat in the dining hall?
Emergency Contact — Name and phone number of someone to contact in case of emergency during the visit.
Relationship to Host — Are they your parent, sibling, friend, partner, or other relation?
Purpose of Visit — Family visit, academic event, campus tour, or other reason.
Overnight Stay — Will your visitor stay overnight in your residence hall room?
Required vs Optional Questions
Questions marked with an asterisk or "required" label must be answered before you can submit the invitation. Optional questions can be left blank if you don't have the information.
If you're unsure about an answer, contact your visitor to get accurate details. Providing complete information helps front desk staff process check-in smoothly.
Adding Special Instructions
The invitation form includes a text field for special instructions or notes. Use this to communicate important details to front desk staff or your visitor.
Examples of useful instructions:
Meeting location if you'll meet your visitor at the front desk versus having them come to your room
Mobility accommodations needed for accessible building entry
Arrival time uncertainty if your visitor's travel schedule is flexible
Special delivery instructions for finding the front desk in a large building complex
Keep instructions brief and relevant. Staff see these notes during check-in, and some systems include them in the visitor's email.
Inviting on Behalf of Another Resident
Some staff positions like RAs may have permission to create invitations on behalf of residents who need assistance.
If you have this permission, you'll see an On Behalf Of dropdown or selector at the top of the invitation form. Select the resident who is hosting the visitor.
Complete the rest of the form as normal. The selected resident receives notifications when their guest checks in, not you.
This feature helps residents who may not have portal access, need language assistance, or require help navigating the system.
Reviewing Your Invitation
Before submitting, review all entered information for accuracy.
Check visitor names against photo IDs or documentation. Verify email addresses and phone numbers don't have typos. Confirm arrival and departure dates and times match your visitor's plans.
Review custom question responses to ensure you provided accurate parking information, dietary needs, and emergency contacts.
Double-check that visit dates fall within allowed periods and don't exceed maximum duration limits.
Submitting the Invitation
Review all entered information for accuracy.
Click Send Invitation or Submit at the bottom of the form.
The system validates your invitation against configured policies. If any errors exist, error messages appear explaining what needs to change.
Correct any errors and click Submit again.
Once validation passes, the invitation is created and your visitor receives an email immediately.
What Happens After Submission
Your visitor receives an email at the address you provided. The email contains visit details, check-in instructions, and a link to their unique QR code.
If you provided a phone number, your visitor may also receive an SMS text message with the QR code link, depending on your institution's notification settings.
The invitation appears in your upcoming invitations list in the resident portal. You can view it there to confirm it was created successfully.
Your visitor should receive the email within a few minutes. Ask them to check spam folders if they don't see it right away.
Common Errors and Solutions
"Visit duration exceeds maximum allowed"
Your arrival and departure times create a visit longer than your institution's policy allows. Check the maximum hours allowed and shorten your visit, or split it into multiple back-to-back invitations.
"Visitors are not allowed during this time"
Your selected dates or times fall outside allowed visitor hours or within an exclusion period. Choose different dates within the permitted schedule, or contact your residence life office.
"This person is banned and cannot be invited"
The visitor you're trying to invite has been banned from campus by housing administration. You cannot create an invitation for this person. Contact your residence life office if you believe this is an error.
"You are not allowed to invite visitors"
Your profile has guest invitation privileges disabled. This may be due to conduct restrictions, housing agreement terms, or temporary policy changes. Contact your residence life office to discuss your visitor privileges.
"Please enter a valid email address"
The email address contains a typo or formatting error. Check for missing characters, spaces, or incorrect domain names and correct the entry.
After Creating Your Invitation
Once your invitation is submitted, you can view it in your invitation list. Click Visitors in the left navigation menu and check the upcoming section to see your pending invitation.
You'll receive a notification when your guest checks in at the front desk. Front desk staff scan the QR code and notify you that your visitor has arrived.
If plans change and your visitor can no longer come, you can cancel the invitation before they arrive.
Related Articles
Understanding QR Codes and Sending Invitations
Managing Your Guest Invitations
Guest Invitation Permissions and Restrictions
Guest and Visitor Management Overview