Drivers License Problems

[Fuzzness 2]

I've run into the same problem in Georgia. The international licenses are issued by AAA and there is no such thing as an international license to drive in the US. Because I have been here more than 30 days, the state will no longer allow me to drive on my Canadian license. However when visiting other states I can drive legally. There isn't a damn thing I can do until I get my EAD then I can get a license.

This is very frustrating but there doesn't seem to be anything else we can do.

[KarenCee 3]

Her I-94 expired on Sep 6 and DMV says she's illegal and cannot get a drivers licence until she gets her status adjusted, which we all know can take a LONG time. They said if we came two days earlier she could have gotten her permit and then her license. We're so angry.

The only thing you have to be angry about is waiting until the last minute to do really important things.

Why, oh, WHY do people wait until the last moment to do this kind of stuff? Why is this?

Cheers!

AKDiver

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Cheers!

[Fuzzness 2]

Her I-94 expired on Sep 6 and DMV says she's illegal and cannot get a drivers licence until she gets her status adjusted, which we all know can take a LONG time. They said if we came two days earlier she could have gotten her permit and then her license. We're so angry.

The only thing you have to be angry about is waiting until the last minute to do really important things.

Why, oh, WHY do people wait until the last moment to do this kind of stuff? Why is this?

Cheers!

AKDiver

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Cheers!

I guess some people think that everyone's situation is just like theirs.

[1/2Cuban 0]

My husband was also unable to get his permit / license in Minnesota. He studied for the test arrived with his passport, I-94, and new SSN and was told he could not even get his permit until AOS.... since he entered K-1 and technically only had 3 months they won't allow it... since it's not enought time to finish permit and get license. Basicly they think its not worth their time to do paperwork.

[allynella 0]

The international driving permit, in my home country, is an endorsement (a booklet) issued by them with my picture, their official stamp, vehicles for which the permit is valid, and a list of countries that it can be used. It is free and valid for 1 year. But, as Yodrak says, there's a lot of controversy regarding it's use, since some AOS cases do prolong past 1 year. But cops do ask for it (they did ask to see mine in addition to my overseas drivers license in NJ). I never did a road test when I went to get my NJ license, since they do recognize that I had a valid overseas license (they never asked to see the international permit though).

Take a look at this... it shows from the basic requirements to conduct any business at the DMV in NJ, to how to apply for a NJ driver's license.

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/LicensesNon-Citizens.htm

I hope this helps

[akdiver 3]

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Oh, I am hardly perfect. But I'm not dumb enough to wait until 2 days after a deadline to apply for something and then complain that I didn't get it.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[KarenCee 3]

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Oh, I am hardly perfect. But I'm not dumb enough to wait until 2 days after a deadline to apply for something and then complain that I didn't get it.

Cheers!

AKDiver

Good for you!

[Fuzzness 2]

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Oh, I am hardly perfect. But I'm not dumb enough to wait until 2 days after a deadline to apply for something and then complain that I didn't get it.

Cheers!

AKDiver

I guess you're not aware that a SSN is needed to get a driver's license and it does take that long to get it...

[Yodrak 7]

KarenCee - I took akdiver's comment seemed to me to be a not very subtle reminder to people that they do need to think ahead in the world of immigration. A much needed reminder, unfortunately, and lack of subtlety is often helpful in getting people's attention.

Fuzzness - I agree with your observation. Don't know how it applies here, but like akdiver's observation it is true and is often a source of confusion and mis-information.

Yodrak

The only thing you have to be angry about is waiting until the last minute to do really important things.

Why, oh, WHY do people wait until the last moment to do this kind of stuff? Why is this?

Cheers!

AKDiver

I guess because not everyone is as perfect as you appear to be.

Cheers!

I guess some people think that everyone's situation is just like theirs.

Fuzzness,

What's this? Aren't you the same poster who just astutely observed that some people seem to think that everyone's situation is the same as their own?

Yodrak

I guess you're not aware that a SSN is needed to get a driver's license .....

Edited September 9, 2006 by Yodrak

[akdiver 3]

I guess you're not aware that a SSN is needed to get a driver's license and it does take that long to get it...

Well, yes I am. My wife went to the DMV the day after she arrived and got a state ID card. She would have gone the same day, except that she arrived on a Sunday. After that, she went to the social security office about a week after she arrived and got a SSN assigned, getting the card in the mail maybe two weeks later. Then she went back to the DMV about a month after she arrived and got her driver's license. She had her driver's license inside of 30 days, well before the 90 day deadline. The point here is that she didn't delay and fool around about it - she was on top of things.

Now granted, many people are lazy morons (especially ones working in government offices such as DMV and Social Security Office) and typically don't care about doing their job well, and it is certainly possible to have some delay in getting a SSN. Even so, I'm willing to bet that delay being an extra 60 days is probably uber-rare and happens in only a very small number of situations.

This being the case, I'd be willing to bet a sizable number of pennies that the overwhelming majority of people who complain about missing one deadline or another missed it not because of the lameness of most government employees, but because they either procrastinated getting something done, or because they couldn't be bothered to inform themselves of the rules, regulations, policies, etc. involved in whatever it was they were trying to do. In these cases, their anger toward any government employees involved is misplaced.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[akdiver 3]

KarenCee - I took akdiver's comment seemed to me to be a not very subtle reminder to people that they do need to think ahead in the world of immigration. A much needed reminder, unfortunately, and lack of subtlety is often helpful in getting people's attention.

Well, at least someone "gets it".

Yes, this is exactly my point. I have read a LOT of posts on here and they tend to fall into several basic categories. One of these boils down to "What is the procedure we should follow for <whatever>?", where <whatever> is some basic, well-known, well-documented thing. This can also be thought of as "I didn't know we had to <whatever>".

The fact is, this stuff is typically very well documented thanks to the marvelous and wonderous generosity of a cadre of VJ posters. The quality and quantity of useful information on here is just astounding.

Unfortunately, it is also clear that a large number of people coming here to get information are just plain lazy. They don't seem to bother to read the how-to guides, long-standing threads that cover in detail the information they are looking for, or anything else. Instead, they will ask questions like, "My fianceé is overseas, how do I get permission for her to come to the U.S.?" They don't bother to research on their own at all and just want people to hold their hand every step of the way, feeding them answers as if they were a child. I could point out that this is largely a result of the American educational system, but that's a conversation for a different time.

Here's the fact - because of the long delay in the initial filing for whatever petition one is filing, there is very ample time for the USC to educate him/herself on every single facet and every aspect of bringing one's beloved to the U.S. In only takes a few hours to do the research and preparation, and be completely ready-to-go once he/she arrives in the U.S. - and one has MONTHS to do it! Any lack of knowledge of these basic things, and any lack of preparation can only be due to one of several things:

• one is too lazy to do the research
  
• one is too stupid to understand instructions written at the 8th grade level
  
• one is too irresponsible to take charge of one's own life
  

The first two can be handled by hiring a proxy to do it for you (typically a lawyer). The third - well - not much one can do about that one. Such people will always have problems and drama in their lives and odds are good that any problems they may be having with USCIS, DMV, and Social Security Office are just the tip of the iceburg.

As for where this little rant is coming from - well, you know, I've been home sick all week and bored, so I have been reading a lot of VJ. I see post after post such as I describe above. It's a lot like when I worked as a bill collector. You start out nice asking people for the money they owe, and try to be understanding and accomodating. However, over time, you just get tired of hearing the same old BS, the same old stories, how everything is someone else's fault, and so forth. Eventually, you just get to be like, "That's great, I don't really care what your problem is, you owe is $75.12 for this bad check you wrote - when will we have the money?".

VJ is a great place and a good resource for a lot of people, and yes, there are people with unique situations that may need discussing, and I've even happy to provide useful info and insights to people (rare, but it does happen). However, no, I don't have much sympathy for the lazy people who can't seem to take charge of their own lives and want to blame someone else for their own mistakes and problems. We have too much of that in America as it is.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[KarenCee 3]

Yodrak,

While I admire your advice, I do believe it can be delivered with much less of an attitude.

Thank you.

KarenCee

[Fuzzness 2]

Fuzzness,

What's this? Aren't you the same poster who just astutely observed that some people seem to think that everyone's situation is the same as their own?

Yodrak

I guess you're not aware that a SSN is needed to get a driver's license .....

My apologies. I thought all states required a SSN to get a driver's license. In Georgia it is required, and it does take at the very least 4 weeks to get, usually more in most cases that I have read about. By then, it was too late for me to get a license as the state keeps changing rules.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Fuzziness, I think you are right, all states require SSN for a drivers license.

I'll give $5 to anyone who can name a state that doesn't.

[thndrdancr 0]

Ok, you owe me $5.

Not sure about currently, but at the time, we got my husbands drivers license BEFORE his I-94 had expired and ON HIS TOURIST VISA. ALL he needed at THAT TIME, I stress, was his I-94 good at least 15 days before applying. So, in theory, ANYONE could have come in that was here even on a tourist visa, and get theirs. I know they were in process of changing that, and he even got his for the 5 year license.

Unreal, hmmm?

This was back in October last year. This is in Nebraska.