Waiting for driver's license

[Alhamdulillah 0]

My husband has an international driver's license that he has used until he got his license this week. In the state we used to live in, he would have had to get a learner's permit for 6 months before getting licensed but where we live now, they just had to have his GC and SS card, and they gave him his license immediately after passing the tests.

[Ban Hammer 13,965]

  Sister Fracas said:

Hubster could have driven on UK license had he needed to, but got DL within about a month of arrival after waiting for GC & SS card. It wasn't an issue however seeing as he used and we still use public transport. We're bus peeps... LOL

probably safer that way, let him get used to driving on the right side of the road

[KarenCee 3]

Husband had to wait for his EAD to be approved, with the card IN HIS HAND. The kind people at our local DMV wouldn't even accept notification that the EAD had been approved.

[mawilson 2,133]

  PlatyPius said:

Mags has never had a license, nor learned to drive.

:o

London gal, no doubt!

[mawilson 2,133]

  Alex+R said:

I'm curious about how driving authorization has affected your life. Were you or your spouse able to drive right away? In what way did the car, and being able or not being able to drive it, affect the immigrant's life?

Alex,

I got my NY licence right away - almost immediately upon arrival.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

I waited for my GC just so I can have a DL that I can use, at least, for a year before it expires. Instead, CA DMV issued me a DL that expires in 2012. Prior to that, I was able to get a temp DL with my foreign DL and GC.

To get around, that is before I drive my own car, I walked the long miles, biked, took the bus, train and taxi. I even tried carpooling when I started to work. I actually enjoyed all the experience.

The only wait that really took so long was getting my CA ID. It took me 6 months before DMV finally cleared my legal status. I made calls to their main HQ in Sacramento and it sped things up, they verified my legal presence with USCIS. I'm glad that part is over. They were a bit alarmed with a K-1 visa and an expired I-94 and then getting the GC under my married name.

[Johnnie Oz 0]

Los Angeles, California (Culver City DMV)

Having received my SSN (applied 2 weeks after arrival), I immediately went down to the local DMV. I filled out the application and began inquiring about this whole DHS clearance and only valid for as long as I-94 thing.

This was prompted by frumpy question along the lines of "why are you applying for this, how long are you staying?"

When I said for good, the tone changed.

She seemed to understand that the situation was absurd:

someone who has moved here after months waiting on a petition (that we paid for), having it accepted, then applying for a visa and getting it (also paid for) is somehow still seen as temporary by the DMV. despite marrying an American citizen etc etc.

Meanwhile, my name and info immediately clears the SAVE database at SSA but 2 WEEKS LATER at the DMV there seems to be an issue. I think she said my status is pending. how difficult is it to hook up to the same database? very it seems.

Annoying that the SSA treats you like an immigrant but the DMV like a Martian.

Anywho, she was nice and asked if I had driven before. I said yes, but that I only had an expired license from a country I had lived in before and that it expired 5 years ago (long story). I was getting ready to be receive a humiliating permit of some kind, when she turned around and asked her supervisor

"do we honor expired foreign licenses?" upon which the supervisor said "yes".

No mention of how long it had been expired and when i showed it, all was good as they entered the info into the computer.

Upon passing my written test, I was given a temporary 2 month license. I can drive again!

No need for a co-pilot even...But I do have to take the practical test within two months.

Some questions:

- this two month thing. My temp license expires a week before my I-94. Should I just drive on this and only apply to take the test when i have my EAD? Otherwise, I'll just get a license that expires with my I-94 and then I have to renew (which costs money). If I wait, I may avoid the renewal fee.

- There is no mention of expired licenses etc on the Cali DMV site or in the Vehicule Code, and judging by other States, this is quite an anamoly. Other experiences?

- What about this "extending" of a license while name is clearing DHS? Is this something I can do until I have EAD, thereby avoiding renewal fees?

Thanks

Edited January 31, 2008 by Johnnie Oz

[Aymerlu 3]

Still learning

[psiprez 3]

In New Jersey, you can use your International Licence if you are here on a TOURIST visa only.

If you have ANY work authorization AT ALL, you need to apply for a regular licence.

You get a learners-type permit, practice driving for three months, then take the test.

And since the Int'l Licence fills the requirement for practice, and you can take the test immediately.

But... he'll still drive with his Int'l Licence until then (shhhhhh!).

[Nessa 23]

  charlesandnessa said:

nessa was able to drive on her brazil license for like 3 months but we got her dl within a month or two.

have you been drinking?

no i could not drive on my brazilian license. I had to wait to get my ssn and since we wanted to get married on our 2nd year anniversary date Nov 25th, I had to wait to get married, so I could get a ssn with my married name and then have the driver's license done. So I came on Oct 10 and got my driver's license on December 14, and now answering Alexa's question, it sucked cuz here you can't go anywhere without a car, it's not like NY you can walk or whatever, so I had to wait for Charles to come home to drive me to the gym and we'd go grocery shopping on Saturdays, that was pretty much it. I was stuck home and life got way better when I could finally drive.

[Ban Hammer 13,965]

  Nessa said:

  charlesandnessa said:

nessa was able to drive on her brazil license for like 3 months but we got her dl within a month or two.

have you been drinking?

no i could not drive on my brazilian license. I had to wait to get my ssn and since we wanted to get married on our 2nd year anniversary date Nov 25th, I had to wait to get married, so I could get a ssn with my married name and then have the driver's license done. So I came on Oct 10 and got my driver's license on December 14, and now answering Alexa's question, it sucked cuz here you can't go anywhere without a car, it's not like NY you can walk or whatever, so I had to wait for Charles to come home to drive me to the gym and we'd go grocery shopping on Saturdays, that was pretty much it. I was stuck home and life got way better when I could finally drive.

legally, you could have driven on your brazil license according to whoever was on the phone, but only for 90 days as you were residing here.

however, the insurance company recognizing you as a legal driver was another matter. in essence, you could have driven for 3 months, hence my original answer.

[kaydee457 13]

If I remember correctly my wife had to wait for her SSN (in her married name) and her EAD in Illinois. To get the SSN in her married name she had to wait for an EAD/AP. About a week later she got her GC (waste of money and time for EAD/AP)..........

Anyway, she didn't know how to drive and so she needed to take the written exam first, then get a learners permit.

I found out later that there's much confusion over how to handle this from one DMV office to the next.

She's been driving a little over a year now so I got rid of her old KIA Spectra and bought her a 2008 Hyundia Tiburon for Xmas.....

[Nessa 23]

  charlesandnessa said:

  Nessa said:

  charlesandnessa said:

nessa was able to drive on her brazil license for like 3 months but we got her dl within a month or two.

have you been drinking?

no i could not drive on my brazilian license. I had to wait to get my ssn and since we wanted to get married on our 2nd year anniversary date Nov 25th, I had to wait to get married, so I could get a ssn with my married name and then have the driver's license done. So I came on Oct 10 and got my driver's license on December 14, and now answering Alexa's question, it sucked cuz here you can't go anywhere without a car, it's not like NY you can walk or whatever, so I had to wait for Charles to come home to drive me to the gym and we'd go grocery shopping on Saturdays, that was pretty much it. I was stuck home and life got way better when I could finally drive.

legally, you could have driven on your brazil license according to whoever was on the phone, but only for 90 days as you were residing here.

however, the insurance company recognizing you as a legal driver was another matter. in essence, you could have driven for 3 months, hence my original answer.

I guess you never told me that, then. All I knew was that I couldn't drive. Period.

[gwen75 0]

  mawilson said:

Alex,

I got my NY licence right away - almost immediately upon arrival.

my hubby went to dmv after getting his SSN but since he had received AP and took a trip to England once in the interim, they tore off his I-94 on the passport so he had to wait until he received his green card to go get his permit

he just got his permit and his test is scheduled for first week in March (such a long wait!)

luckily, we dont really need a car here but life would be easier with one! (i dont drive)

at least when we do need to, he can use his UK license to rent a car

[Alex+R 0]

Anyone in Michigan? It looks like you need to be a PR just to get a license there... anywhere else?