LPR, but Drivers Licence says Temporary Immigrant?

[mindthegap 2,590]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone has experienced this before....if so, lend me your ears.

I have my CR-1 2year GC, and I finally got around to sorting my NJ drivers licence.

Only the knowledge test was required, and the road test was waived on account of my UK licence. Did the 6point ID verification (GC, marriage certificate, SS card, CC statement), and licence issued on the spot.

Job done......or so I thought.

The licence expires a few months past the expiry date of my GC, which I was fully expecting, so no issue with that.

The issue I have is that in the top right corner in red, it states 'TEMP IMMGR STATUS', which is of course wrong, and somewhat embarrassing (to me anyway..). Other than this the licence is a regular NJ licence, and identical to my wifes.

The supervisor at the DMV was insistent that they haven't screwed up, and that the 2yr GC is treated like this, unlike a 10yr GC, which gets a regular 4yr licence without any such mark.

Protests that the word permanent is very different from temporary, showing the endorsed immigrant visa in my passport (as opposed to non-immigrant) and that until the expiry date on the GC I am a lawful permanent resident in exactly the same status as a 10yr GC holder, fell on deaf ears.

Anyone else encountered or heard of this before?

[Dave&Roza 748]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone has experienced this before....if so, lend me your ears.

I have my CR-1 2year GC, and I finally got around to sorting my NJ drivers licence.

Only the knowledge test was required, and the road test was waived on account of my UK licence. Did the 6point ID verification (GC, marriage certificate, SS card, CC statement), and licence issued on the spot.

Job done......or so I thought.

The licence expires a few months past the expiry date of my GC, which I was fully expecting, so no issue with that.

The issue I have is that in the top right corner in red, it states 'TEMP IMMGR STATUS', which is of course wrong, and somewhat embarrassing (to me anyway..). Other than this the licence is a regular NJ licence, and identical to my wifes.

The supervisor at the DMV was insistent that they haven't screwed up, and that the 2yr GC is treated like this, unlike a 10yr GC, which gets a regular 4yr licence without any such mark.

Protests that the word permanent is very different from temporary, showing the endorsed immigrant visa in my passport (as opposed to non-immigrant) and that until the expiry date on the GC I am a lawful permanent resident in exactly the same status as a 10yr GC holder, fell on deaf ears.

Anyone else encountered or heard of this before?

Technically as a conditional LPR you can be thought of as a temporary immigrant because in 2 years you must file for removal of those conditions and if granted you get a 10 year GC. With the 10 year GC your LPR status does not expire unlike your conditional residency which does expire when your GC expires. You are also a LPR with all the rights and responsibilities of any LPR, just your residency has an expiration date tied to the GC. I have not heard of the temporary immigrant before. It must be a NJ thing that they give to anybody not a USC or with an IR code of admission. In my mind a LPR is a LPR. At least you only have to live with it for two years or until you move to another state.

Dave

[NikLR 13,227]

You'll have to do some searching in the NJ dmv http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/

Every state will be different. For instance my driver's license in Colorado expires in 2018 but my GC expires in 2015.

[kzielu 1,149]

Regardless of what others said - what the problem with that ? It's as good of a license as any other one...

[mindthegap 2,590]

You'll have to do some searching in the NJ dmv http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/

Every state will be different. For instance my driver's license in Colorado expires in 2018 but my GC expires in 2015.

Yeah, already looked prior to posting. No help- just references non citizens & non-immigrant visas & lawful presence. Nothing about LPR, except for GC or endorsed visa being a valid form of ID for the 6point check.

Regardless of what others said - what the problem with that ? It's as good of a license as any other one...

Well for a start, it contradicts what my GC says and indeed, what I am- which is a permanent resident.

There is also the issue that to me, it looks shady having paperwork that doesn't match ... say for example, I encountered an arsey state trooper who didn't like the fact that one says PR, one says temporary- in a paranoid post 9/11 world they could make life very difficult.

I would have no issue if it said 'limited term licence' or similar instead of stating something I am not.

Edited January 1, 2014 by mindthegap

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

My husband's CT license expires when his conditional greencard does. It took 2 days and me arguing for 20 minutes with the manager and then her consulting someone higher up for them to even give my husband a learner's permit with the conditional permanent residence because he didn't have the card, he just had the stamp. O-M-G!

My husband was also unable to get those fancy new federally verified licenses.

[kzielu 1,149]

Youre really over thinking this. Driver license is not a immigration document, I still have mine which I got when I arrived on L-1B visa. If you want to loose slip over this, your choice but likely your not going to get anything different. In my mind it's actually very accurate. If you do not remove conditions, you will need out of status. With 10 year GC status does not expire.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Texas used to have "Temporary Visitor" in bold red lettering across the top of licenses. There were complaints and lawsuits. Since about 2011 it says "Limited Term" so as to not make anybody uncomfortable or feel second-class.

Here's an explanation I read in the Houston Chronicle when they overhauled licensing in Oct 2008 under pressure from the Feds to help control illegal immigration:

Prior to the change if you had just one week left on eligibility in the US, you could get a full six year license. With that license as ID, you could appear as legal as a US citizen while you overstayed. People were flocking in from stricter states, to get a TX license. Now most states check immigration status carefully and set the license to expire when their documentation expires. You are only documented to stay here for two years, so they can't give you the regular four year license, as younexpected. NJ chooses to flag the license with wording as does Texas. Write a letter of complaint or file a lawsuit because it offends you. Or just keep calm and carry on.

[agnesb 47]

In FL it says "Temporary" didn't even notice it until now :-)

[Ontarkie 14,218]

I seen a few complain that it caused problems and they were pretty upset with the extra hassles. Like the one with you with the State trouper.

[Caryh 5,206]

In Minnesota, you get an immigration check date with the date you must return and confirm you're still legally present, if you don't have your green card yet. With the issuance of my wife's green card, the two year conditional green card, they removed the immigration check date. I actually never noticed the additional information on her State ID, which she got with the I-94. It wasn't until she got her drivers permit that they mentioned it, and I saw it.

[Amuthan 5]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone has experienced this before....if so, lend me your ears.

I have my CR-1 2year GC, and I finally got around to sorting my NJ drivers licence.

Only the knowledge test was required, and the road test was waived on account of my UK licence. Did the 6point ID verification (GC, marriage certificate, SS card, CC statement), and licence issued on the spot.

Job done......or so I thought.

The licence expires a few months past the expiry date of my GC, which I was fully expecting, so no issue with that.

The issue I have is that in the top right corner in red, it states 'TEMP IMMGR STATUS', which is of course wrong, and somewhat embarrassing (to me anyway..). Other than this the licence is a regular NJ licence, and identical to my wifes.

The supervisor at the DMV was insistent that they haven't screwed up, and that the 2yr GC is treated like this, unlike a 10yr GC, which gets a regular 4yr licence without any such mark.

Protests that the word permanent is very different from temporary, showing the endorsed immigrant visa in my passport (as opposed to non-immigrant) and that until the expiry date on the GC I am a lawful permanent resident in exactly the same status as a 10yr GC holder, fell on deaf ears.

Anyone else encountered or heard of this before?

I had the same argument today at the Eatontown, NJ MVC. Although, the lady said that she cannot change my "TEMP. IMMGR STATUS" until my license expired, for which I'd have to wait till 2017! I said, I'm not on a Temporary Immigrant Visa or non-immigrant visa and even showed her my welcome to America brochure which classifies me as a Legal Permanent Resident! I'm supposed to get the same benefits as a 10-yr GC holder!! I told her that the Social Security Administration removed the "VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION" legend based on my new Immigration status! Further explained to her that, If I was in my previous H1B (Non-Immigrant Visa) then I can totally see the point of being a Non-Immigrant, but now I am a legal permanent resident and she kept denying every statement I made and just to piss me off, she got my address wrong! Half a day's work and $11 are my loss!! I have to do a little more research into this... Anyone had any luck getting that Red legend off their license? I just want all my Government Issued ID's to say that I'm a Permanent Resident! Right now my Driver's License doesn't! Very frustrated!

[astoldbyme 0]

Had the same issue with OP in October 2018.

Just renewed my NJ license with I-797 authorizing 18-month green card extension.  

The new license now says "LIMITED-TERM" in black instead of "TEMP IMMGR STATUS" in red.

[TBoneTX 45,266]

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