U.S. Pauses Work Visas for Foreign Truck Drivers

The Trump administration has announced a pause on work visas for foreign commercial truck drivers.

This announcement follows a deadly highway crash in Florida,  where undocumented truck driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn that killed three people.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post that such drivers are “endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

The State Department stated that the pause applies to three visa categories and that stricter vetting will be introduced for future applicants. The vetting process will review how it screens foreign drivers and may include: 

• Further Proof of English-Language Proficiency: Federal law has long required commercial drivers to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Proof of Driving Proficiency: Applicants must pass additional driving skills tests and demonstrate relevant experience to ensure applicants can safely operate large commercial vehicles. 
• Expanded Background Checks: Stricter vetting and documentation requirements may increase application complexity and lengthen processing times.

Visa Categories Affected

The pause targets three specific categories:

H-2B visas for temporary non-agricultural workers. Only about 1,500 truck drivers received these visas this fiscal year out of 66,000 total H-2B visas issued.

E-2 visas for investors making substantial investments in U.S. businesses, which are rarely used by individual truck drivers.

EB-3 visas for skilled workers, a category that also covers healthcare employees, IT professionals, and skilled tradespeople.