Find English Teachers
Ethan Lee
What does the term “visa” in traveling stand for?
I'm writing a sort of application guideline for international students. The term "visa" (a document issued to give permission for foreign travelers to get into a country) confuses me. What is the correct form of this term? VISA, Visa or visa (not at the beginning of a sentence)? Visitor Visa, visitor visa, Visitor VISA, or visitor Visa (not at the beginning of a sentence)?
Thank you very much!
Nov 11, 2018 4:18 AM
Answers · 7
3
Simply "visa." It is not a proper noun, so it is not capitalized when not at the beginning of a sentence. However, you may see the term "Visitor Visa" capitalized on a form or a website. This is not correct, but sometimes people like to capitalize the names of official documents and things like that (Driver's License comes to mind as something that one sometimes sees capitalized even though it shouldn't be). You may also see the "Visa" capitalized when it refers to a particular brand of credit card, which is used in the US and elsewhere. In this case, Visa is a proper noun because it is the name of a company. The logo of the company includes the word VISA in all capital letters, but you would write "Visa" if you were writing about it in a sentence. Again, the travel document is simply "visa."
November 11, 2018
1
it is a common noun. So, "visa" and "visitor visa."
November 11, 2018
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Ethan Lee
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Articles You May Also Like

Speak More Fluently with This Simple Technique
25 likes · 4 Comments

How to Read and Understand a Business Contract in English
20 likes · 3 Comments

6 Ways italki Can Help You Succeed in Your School Language Classes
15 likes · 9 Comments
More articles