visa
/ˈviːzə
/noun
An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country: a tourist visa the Home Office has extended her visa an exit visa [as modifier]: US visa restrictions...
- He said he has only worked in Europe with business visas, which allow stays of 90 days.
- British passport holders don't require visas if staying less than 60 days.
- I would like to think they are currently New Zealand citizens or holders of permanent residence visas.
Origin
Mid 19th century: via French from Latin visa, past participle (neuter plural) of videre 'to see'.
view from Middle English:
View goes back to Latin videre ‘to see’. Review (Late Middle English), first recorded as a noun denoting a formal inspection of military or naval forces, is literally a re-viewing. Video [1930s] is the Latin for ‘I see’ just as audio is the Latin for ‘I hear’. Visa (mid 19th century), evidence that your right to enter a country has been checked, is a shortening of Latin charta visa literally ‘seen paper’.