Proposed visa fees and $15K bonds could chill international tourism that buoys Vegas

Saturday, August 9, 2025 12:24 PM
Photo:  By Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - XA-GMV 2006 AeroMexico Boeing 737-752 (cn 35118/2151) - McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58272991
  • Matthew Lee, Howard Stutz and Isabella Aldrete, Associated Press and The Nevada Independent

The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration is tightening requirements for visa applicants. Last week, the State Department announced that many visa renewal applicants would have to submit to an additional in-person interview, something that was not required in the past.