Two months after President Hilda Heine joined with the presidents of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia to urge the US government to exempt freely associated state citizens from a new US directive limiting issuance of commercial drivers licenses, the US government last last week issued the exemption.
This outcome was the result of dedicated advocacy by our leaders, said the RMI Embassy in Washington in announcing the change. In March 2026, President Heine joined the Presidents of Palau and FSM in signing a joint letter to the US Secretary of Transportation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kalani Kaneko and Special Envoy Nitijela Member Wilbur Heine then met directly with Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration leadership in Washington, DC.
Earlier this year the US government issued a rule that prohibited states from issuing commercial drivers licenses to non-US citizens. This development threatened the jobs of hundreds of Marshallese, Micronesians and Palauans who hold these licenses for using commercial level vehicles.
Earlier in May, an announcement in the US Federal Register confirmed the decision of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to grant all State Driver Licensing Agencies a five-year exemption authorizing the issuance of non-domiciled Commercial Learner’s Permits and Commercial Driver’s Licenses to eligible citizens of the three Freely Associated States.
The Federal Register notice specifically recognizes the unique political and security relationship between the Freely Associated States and the United States under the Compacts of Free Association, including the right of FAS citizens to lawfully reside and work in the United States, as well as the longstanding service of FAS citizens in the United States Armed Forces.
This exemption applies to citizens of the RMI, the FSM, and Palau who reside in the United States and present:
- A valid, unexpired passport issued by an FAS nation; and
- A Form I-94 or I-94A issued by the US Department of Homeland Security.
“The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands recognizes this exemption as a significant step in expanding employment opportunities for Marshallese citizens across the United States,” said a press release issued by the RMI Embassy in Washington. “Commercial driving careers offer stable wages, career advancement, and long-term economic benefits for families and communities. This exemption removes previous administrative barriers that prevented many qualified FAS citizens from entering the commercial transportation sector.”
The RMI praised “the strong collaboration and coordinated advocacy undertaken by the leadership of the Freely Associated States in support of this issue.”
On March 14, President Hilda C. Heine joined Palau President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., and FSM President Wesley W. Simina, in signing a joint letter to United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy requesting that the Department of Transportation ensure continued access to commercial driver licensing opportunities for Freely Associated States citizens residing in the United States.
Following the signing of the joint letter, President Heine personally hand-delivered the letter to United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and requested his assistance in ensuring that the matter received immediate attention from the Department of Transportation.