"Illegal" in MS

[TBoneTX 46,156]

*** Thread moved from main AOS/Family-Based forum to Moving Here & Your New Life forum -- topic involves driver's-license issues rather than the AOS process. ***

[Touch of Treble 39]

Ok I was actually looking for the thumbs down icon in response! I live in NY and was hoping to just get the drivers license stuff taken care of basically as soon as my fiance arrives and we are married. Sometimes, I feel like this process is harder and more complicated than it needs to be.

I'm in Western NY and had to wait for my EAD. Before I left my homeland I renewed my license to make sure it would remain valid for a while over here. As I was not considered a resident, I drove my Aussie license. I applied for the NYS license within 30 days of receiving the EAD, which was when I was considered a resident. The DMV were fine with that.

[bigdog 376]

In the k-1 guides it states to apply for your social in two weeks, get it done on time. My wife thiught I was crazy to push her for the SS, leaners permit and DL in the 90 days (she got it done). Unornately everything resolves around the SSC in US. No social no DL etc. I you wait till I-94 expires you are out of luck till EAD or your green card, in most of not all areas. As more states become compliant with the enhanced DL"s this will be the case. Good Luck on getting this done if you miss the initial window, till EAD or AOS.. Legal and getting ID - SS and DL are two different animals.

[Caryh 5,206]

In the k-1 guides it states to apply for your social in two weeks, get it done on time. My wife thiught I was crazy to push her for the SS, leaners permit and DL in the 90 days (she got it done). Unornately everything resolves around the SSC in US. No social no DL etc. I you wait till I-94 expires you are out of luck till EAD or your green card, in most of not all areas. As more states become compliant with the enhanced DL"s this will be the case. Good Luck on getting this done if you miss the initial window, till EAD or AOS.. Legal and getting ID - SS and DL are two different animals.

Even things that don't legally revolve around the SS card, there will be many road blocks thrown up because people assume they do. Health insurance, banks, etc... will all ask for it and say you cannot get an account without it. If you stick to your guns, and repeatedly and politely ask them to look at the rules, you can get by this, I know I did with both our health insurance and bank. We waited until after we were married for my wife to get her SS card, but we had wedding planned within 5 weeks of her arrival. Still plenty of time on the I-94 to get everything done. And while we didn't get her a drivers license right away, we did get her a state ID, which made the transition to the drivers permit and license very smooth. If you're not getting married fast, its certainly in your best interest to get the SS, and license done as early as possible or get stuck in a long wait.

[2Complicated 0]

We waited two weeks after he got here to get his SSN. However, we seem to have problems with everything and didn't get his SSN until the day his I-94 expired. Then they didn't want to give it us, so we had to fight for them to give it us! Unfortunately for us, my husband doesn't have a driver's license from when he was in Panama. He always used public transportation. His biometrics appt is the 27th, so hopefully things will get accomplished quickly. I also hope once his EAD arrives, they'll allow him to get the license since where I live, we don't have any public transportation :/

[afoyoswa 178]

My state (MA) has a list of acceptable immigration documents (including the I-94 and the EAD), which states that an expired document will not be accepted, but doesn't specify how long the license obtained with that document would be valid. I was worried that the license would only be valid as long as the document was, so we didn't attempt to get him a license based on the I-94 because I didn't want to spend $100+ for something that would be good for a maximum of 90 days. The EAD doesn't last all that long either, right? I think we'll just wait until he gets his green card and then take care of it.

He's not all that impatient to drive, though. We're on the opposite side of the road from what he's used to, and the driving style is completely different in general, so he's happy to have some time to observe and study the manual before he starts driving here. And luckily, we live in an area with great public transit (except during/just after blizzards...), so we can both get pretty much anywhere we need to go without a car (which is lucky, given that the car is buried under an iceberg at the moment!).

[Caryh 5,206]

My state (MA) has a list of acceptable immigration documents (including the I-94 and the EAD), which states that an expired document will not be accepted, but doesn't specify how long the license obtained with that document would be valid. I was worried that the license would only be valid as long as the document was, so we didn't attempt to get him a license based on the I-94 because I didn't want to spend $100+ for something that would be good for a maximum of 90 days. The EAD doesn't last all that long either, right? I think we'll just wait until he gets his green card and then take care of it.

He's not all that impatient to drive, though. We're on the opposite side of the road from what he's used to, and the driving style is completely different in general, so he's happy to have some time to observe and study the manual before he starts driving here. And luckily, we live in an area with great public transit (except during/just after blizzards...), so we can both get pretty much anywhere we need to go without a car (which is lucky, given that the car is buried under an iceberg at the moment!).

The EAD is good for a year. My wife got her driver's license and it had an renewal date 4 years later, which is normal for everyone in my state. But they also had an immigration check date, that would have expired with her EAD. When her green card arrived, we just had to go show them the green card and they issued a new drivers license with the immigration check date removed. The update to remove the date was free. We had thought a new date may have coincided with the 2 years on the green card, but apparently in our state having the green card removes the need for checking.

[agrabs 246]

We went thru the exact same thing here in MO. I had checked the MODMV website and it said said K1 could get driver's license - needed passport and I94. He had already gotten ss card 2 weeks after arriving. I even called the headquarters in Jefferson city to confirm. My husband paid the fee, took the test was issued a temporary paper license. Then 30 days later we got a letter in the mail stating his license was revoked because his 1/94 was set to expire so he would have to re-take the test and start all over again when he had proper documentation to show his legal presence. At this point we had started AOS and had NOA1 from AOS.

When I called the DMV headquarters about this I was told that I should be thankful that they didn't call immigration on him to report him being here illegally!

He went back once he got his EAD and was able to start over and get his license that has an expiration date the same as EAD.

[NikLR 13,232]

Typical government. One hand never talks to the other and the feet are going in two different directions. /sigh

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Typical government. One hand never talks to the other and the feet are going in two different directions. /sigh

They are two different governments, one is state, the other is federal. So why should they talk to each other, two different se of laws.

[Sirdaniel42 86]

AOS is a time of limbo. The I-94 is not only the time to get married. After the I-94 expires, your husband would be out of status if he hadn't submitted his I-485. He did submit it, so he is here legally because his pending AOS grants him a period of authorized stay. Most DMVs, however, don't accept the NOA1 from I-485 as proof of legal status - since it can be revoked at any time. You'll have to wait for the EAD or GC to get him a DL, depending on your state laws.

This is very common.

This was the same for me, DMV wanted to see my Green Card.

[NikLR 13,232]

They are two different governments, one is state, the other is federal. So why should they talk to each other, two different se of laws.

Rofl. You act like I don't know this. Which of course isn't the case. So serious over a rather overplayed joke.

In truth I find Canada to be a bit more across the board but were a tad more socialist up here.

Relax k? Thx

[Harsh_77 718]

The anti-illegal immigrant restrictions being put in place has probably hurt more legal immigrants than hindered illegals.

You are right on the dot, unfortunately the law makers who wrote the law for each state are not aware of the various state a legal immigrant goes thru.

As usual the State is not aware of how Feds work, its sad our president and law makers are so eager to fix the system and improve the lives of people who have violated the law and illegally in the country and on other hand they do not care about the people who have gone thru legal process and have entered the country legally.

[agrabs 246]

You are right on the dot, unfortunately the law makers who wrote the law for each state are not aware of the various state a legal immigrant goes thru.

As usual the State is not aware of how Feds work, its sad our president and law makers are so eager to fix the system and improve the lives of people who have violated the law and illegally in the country and on other hand they do not care about the people who have gone thru legal process and have entered the country legally.

Agree completely!