U.S. suspends truck driver visas following crash

Following a deadly accident in Florida that killed three people and involved an Indian commercial truck driver, the U.S. is pausing its E and H worker visas for drivers wanting to operate in the country.

“Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rudio announced on X Aug. 21. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

After the announcement, the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) said it reached out to the U.S. embassy seeking clarity on whether this affects Canadian-based foreign nationals who drive for a Canadian carrier delivering into the U.S. from Canada and returning.

The embassy confirmed the order only applies to those with E and H visas, and would not impact Canadian commercial drivers.

“This order does not affect B1/B2 visas, which most third-country-national drivers in Canada use to enter the United States, so the order should not affect them,” the embassy response said. “Relatedly though, as part of their visa interview they must display a strong level of English language skills, or they can be refused the visa.”

In April, the U.S. announced all drivers must be proficient in English to operate a commercial truck in the country.