The U.S. State Department has resumed visa processing for foreign nationals seeking to work as commercial truck drivers in the United States, reversing a suspension that had affected carriers relying on cross-border driver pools. Transport Topics reported the development on May 22, 2026.
The resumption affects visa categories used by Mexican and Canadian nationals entering the US commercial driving workforce. The suspension had created complications for carriers operating near the US-Mexico border, where many fleets rely on cross-border drivers to manage regional freight volumes.
US trucking industry representatives had identified the visa processing pause as a contributing factor in regional driver shortages, particularly for short-haul and drayage operations in Texas and California border regions. The resumption does not immediately resolve the broader driver shortage, but it removes one barrier that had been limiting labor supply for cross-border freight movements.
Carriers with active applications on hold during the suspension period can expect processing to resume on a rolling basis, though individual visa timelines vary based on consular appointment availability and documentation review.
Source: Transport Topics -- https://www.ttnews.com/articles/state-restarts-foreign-visas