Legal Definitions - Visa

Visa

A visa is a special stamp or sticker that is placed in a person's passport by the government of the country they want to visit. This stamp or sticker gives the person permission to enter and stay in the country for a certain amount of time. In the United States, most foreigners need to get a visa before they can enter the country.

For example, if someone from France wants to visit the United States, they will need to apply for a visa at the U.S. embassy in France. If they are approved, they will receive a visa stamp in their passport that allows them to enter the United States for a certain amount of time, such as 90 days.

Another example is if someone from China wants to visit Australia. They will need to apply for an Australian visa at the Australian embassy in China. If they are approved, they will receive a visa stamp in their passport that allows them to enter Australia for a certain amount of time, such as 30 days.

These examples illustrate how a visa works. Without a visa, a person cannot enter a foreign country legally. The visa shows that the person has been approved by the government to enter the country and stay for a certain amount of time.