Driving in USA

[JohnIrish 0]

I have just started the K1 process..

Just curious...

If she does get the visa and is allowed to come to the USA... can she drive a car? This would be while she is on her 90 day K1 visa. She lives in Thailand now and has a car. She has talked about an International Drivers License but I cannot find anything about that. I heard it was a United Nations type of thing.

I live in Washington State if that is any help. I would call the local drivers license office but I wonder if they would even know how to answer such a question. I will probably try the local drivers office but thought someone may have had this issue before. I would add her to my car insurance since that is a requirement.

thanks

[Earmuffs 1]

Not sure but my wifes aunt is here from thailand and drives all the time..

[Liebi 0]

Driver Guide Washington State

http://www.dmvusa.com/mcontent.php?pageid=..._Motor_Vehicles

You will find all answers there.

I think WA allows nonresidents to drive with their foreign license for up to 6 months if insured properly. Means, by law she will be considered a WA resident after staying in the state for 6 months - this has nothing to do with USCIS or so, 2 totally different things - and will be required to obtain a WA driver license if she wishes to drive afr those 6 months have passed. Doesn't matter if she has an international drivers license or not, since that is basically just the translation of her original one. But like I said, the guide has all the details, read through the requirements for residents and nonresidents/visitors part.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

You only have to stop by the Moving here and your new life in America forum to see the headaches immigrants have been having with using out of state licenses, and requesting a state license... If you have the possibility to go for an international drivers license, I'd say go for it

Saludos,

Caro

[ChrisB0707 4]

I have just started the K1 process..

Just curious...

If she does get the visa and is allowed to come to the USA... can she drive a car? This would be while she is on her 90 day K1 visa. She lives in Thailand now and has a car. She has talked about an International Drivers License but I cannot find anything about that. I heard it was a United Nations type of thing.

I live in Washington State if that is any help. I would call the local drivers license office but I wonder if they would even know how to answer such a question. I will probably try the local drivers office but thought someone may have had this issue before. I would add her to my car insurance since that is a requirement.

thanks

She can not drive with her current license. the united staes will require her to get a license from the stae she is living in

[ThaiStyleUSA 1]

U.S. has a very strict law on driving and it's also depending on your state's jurisdiction as well. If I was you I'd hold off on her driving until you and her applied for her license for your state. K-1 90 days visa meaning you must marry her within 90 days and then go through the process for her adjustment for living in the US. Besides, you don't want to take the risk. I know what you're meaning. My fiancee is from Thailand as well. She drives all the time in Thailand. I drive alot too when I visit Thailand on my international license...but every country is not the same as USA. Good luck and Happy New Year.

[Marilyn. 340]

An International Driving Permit (IDP) allows an individual to drive their private motor vehicle in another nation only when accompanied by a valid license from their country. The document is approximately the size of a standard passport and is essentially a multiple language translation of one's own existing driver's license, complete with photograph and vital statistics. It is not a license to operate a motor vehicle on its own. Within the European Union an EU-format licence of one member state is recognised in all other member states without the need for an IDP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit

[Marilyn. 340]

Essentially, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is proof that you hold a valid driver's license in your own country. And it provides a translation into almost a dozen languages, mainly so that police and other authorities in other countries can read your license in their own language. It may not be absolutely necessary to have it, since many countries recognize each other's licenses, but traveling with an IDP has many advantages.

http://drivers.com/article/206/

The IDP must be applied for in the country of origin and cannot be used there in place of a regular driver's license.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

I'll add my voice to that clamour saying an International Driving License is a misnomer; it's not a license at all... it's not worth pursuing that route unless the license it represents (ie the one from the holder's home country) is also valid in the US

in my research on this for my own situation, I read somewhere that people from countries on the visa waiver program can drive on their home country license (if valid, of course), for up to one year after arriving in the US, after which they will need to get a new one for the US... I THINK it referred to all VWP countries, but may have just been Australia, and of course this may differ from state to state

sorry I can't be more definite

hope some of the above is helpful, and all the best

[reach449 2]

My wife got an international driver licenses before she left Thailand. It isn't really a license, however what it shows is that you have a valid driver license in the country you are from. I called the state of Tennesse and asked about her driving with the license and no-one and I mean no-one had any answers. But I have read on U..S goverment websites that you can drive for one year using these license. I am sorry but I don't have the URL; but I did read this. So she is driving on her's and I am not too worried about it.

Just think if you are visiting our country and rent a car. You do not have a license for the state you are renting in. An international license is all the rental company requires; or a license for your home country.

I say go ahead and drive with it...

reach449

[Mel_and_Daniel 1]

The international driving license is useful if your regular license is not written in English. I haven't seen one but from what I have read it translates your dl information into several languages including English. If you are stopped on the road, the officer stopping you may not be able to tell what is on your license unless it is in English.

[ngatameta 0]

its better if you get a state drivers license..It will save you on car insurance in the long run also.. I think the rate is almost doubled compared to having a state license..

[JaEnglishGirl 34]

its better if you get a state drivers license..It will save you on car insurance in the long run also.. I think the rate is almost doubled compared to having a state license..

That`s not the case.

I have my English licence and was added to my husband`s insurance at no extra cost.

[Alex+R 0]

States differ, as everyone's said, but in Minnesota we just got a translation of Rey's Brazilian driver's license, and he drove around on that license for about 4 or 5 months with no problems. We even got pulled over once and the cop had no problem with it. So an int'l license would have been pointless.