From January 2022, all border crossers in the United States will be required to get vaccinated.

Beginning on January 22, 2022, US President Joe Biden has stated that essential nonresident travelers crossing US land borders, such as truck drivers, government, and emergency response officials, will be required to be fully vaccinated.

The requirement, which the White House previewed in October, brings the rules for essential travelers in line with those that went into effect earlier this month for leisure travelers when the US reopened its borders to fully vaccinated individuals, according to a senior administration official.

Essential ferry passengers will be required to be fully vaccinated by the same date, according to the official.

The new rules apply to non-U.S. nationals, as American citizens and permanent residents are still allowed to enter the country regardless of their vaccination status, but they will be subjected to additional testing because officials believe they will easily contract and spread COVID-19, so they will be delayed in order to encourage them to get vaccinated.

To avoid disruptions, the Biden administration pushed back the requirement for essential travelers by more than two months from when it went into effect on Nov. 8 for non-essential visitors. This is especially important for truck drivers, who are critical to North American trade. Despite the fact that most cross-border traffic was shut down in the early days of the pandemic, essential travelers were able to travel freely.

 

The vaccination requirement has been criticized by Norita Taylor, a spokeswoman for the trucking group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, who calls it an example of “how unnecessary government mandates can force experienced owner-operators and independent truckers out of business.”

“Another example of how impractical regulations will drive safe drivers off the road is these requirements,” she said.

This comes after the Biden administration issued an emergency regulation requiring large businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated or tested weekly, despite the fact that the order is being challenged in court.