O. Sami Saydjari wrote:

A while back, I was with an experienced pilot, IMC, descending to land
at my home airport. The airport is not in an environment where ATC will
give vectors to final. As we approached, ATC asked which approach we
wanted. He said that he was "going for the visual." The ceilings were
right at the Minimum Safe altitude (MSA)--3000. I think ATC said that we
could descend to 3000 and report airport in sight.

Is this request of "going for the visual" usual?

Is it the norm if ceilings are above MSA?

MSA plays no role whatsoever in any altitude assigned by ATC. We don't
know or care what the MSA is. If you have to go by the airport to get
to where you would start an approach ask ATC to bring you down to the
MVA at the airport as you go by. If you see the airport you can get the
visual, if you're still in the clouds you're headed for the approach
anyways.