A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter or leave the area for which it was issued and is subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization is commonly a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport, but it may also be a document to accompany a passport. A visa generally gives non-citizens clearance to enter a country and to remain there within specified constraints, such as a time frame for entry, a limit on the time spent in the country, and a prohibition against employment.

For more information and access to Cornell's preferred visa vendor visit our Visa and Passport webpage.