visa run
n.— «Many people who have come to work in Taiwan have had to undertake the inglorious journey of what is commonly called a “visa run,” in order to acquire the necessary status to work here legally. The phrase instantly brings to mind English teachers working here under shady circumstances, but the reality is that economic immigrants to Taiwan in an array of industries find it necessary, at some point, to change their visa status.» —“’Visa run’ on a shoestring” by Mac William Bishop Taipei Times (Taiwan) June 5, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
Amid a 1796 heat wave, Jane Austen wrote to her sister, “What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Jane Austen’s Continual State of Inelegance in a...