How to apply for NY state id?

[E&Mark 0]

How do i apply for NY State Id? I heard you need to have certain points for that? I tried to google but still not very clear as to what documents i need to bring and how much points i should have? Can anyone please share their knowledge on this? Is it better to make state id before the Green card arrives or afterwards?Thanks.

[Ed and Gina 45]

I used to live in NY and never heard of having to to have "points." (I am USC). Are you trying to get a driver's license or just an ID? Go to the NY State DMV website...look up what documents are required. Go to the DMV, fill out the paperwork. As long as everything is in order, you should be able to walk out of the office with an ID card.

Good Luck!

Your Visa should be enough - you came in as a CR1/IR1...

[lizascissors 65]

Google "apply for NYS id card"

Here's instructions http://dmv.ny.gov/id-card/bget-non-driver-id-card-ndid

[NYCruiser 423]

How do i apply for NY State Id? I heard you need to have certain points for that? I tried to google but still not very clear as to what documents i need to bring and how much points i should have? Can anyone please share their knowledge on this? Is it better to make state id before the Green card arrives or afterwards?Thanks.

Yes I can help. We just went through today to get a NYS ID. The process is not difficult at all..however, the process is confusing. They assign points to each document, however....nowhere does it say how many points you need to qualify...LOL.

We took the Passport with the K1 Visa + CPB record of entry. In addition, we took a credit card in my fiance's name, the Social Security card, (you need this before trying to get the ID or the Bank Account). However they were not familiar with the K1 Visa and asked was it a Work Visa or Asylum? LOL

We had to go through secondary processing as the Primary DMV employee was confused as my fiance's A# was written by the Date stamp of the Immigration Officer. He asked where is the Green Card....

Another thing is they only issued the ID for the duration of the K1 visa which was for three months..,..

...what do we do after it expires??

[JimmyHou 611]

Yes I can help. We just went through today to get a NYS ID. The process is not difficult at all..however, the process is confusing. They assign points to each document, however....nowhere does it say how many points you need to qualify...LOL.

We took the Passport with the K1 Visa + CPB record of entry. In addition, we took a credit card in my fiance's name, the Social Security card, (you need this before trying to get the ID or the Bank Account). However they were not familiar with the K1 Visa and asked was it a Work Visa or Asylum? LOL

We had to go through secondary processing as the Primary DMV employee was confused as my fiance's A# was written by the Date stamp of the Immigration Officer. He asked where is the Green Card....

Another thing is they only issued the ID for the duration of the K1 visa which was for three months..,..

...what do we do after it expires??

Texas does the same thing. They will not issue a drivers license or state ID valid beyond the validity of your visa or green card. After that you have to renew your ID once you can show that your immigration status has been extended by presenting a new visa, new green card, or US passport whenever you get one of those.

For example, a Texas state ID is supposed to be valid for 7 years, but if you are on an H-1b visa, they will only give you an ID valid for 3 years. In Texas this is usually, but not always enforced. I don't know how strict NY is about this.

Edited November 25, 2014 by JimmyHou

[NYCruiser 423]

So when my fiance gets the EAD he would have to go in again and get renewed for the vailidty of the EAD? Wow....then again when the GC comes in the mail for a third time?

[JimmyHou 611]

So when my fiance gets the EAD he would have to go in again and get renewed for the vailidty of the EAD? Wow....then again when the GC comes in the mail for a third time?

I don't know about NY, but that's how it would work in Texas.

The state government is very keen to show that they won't issue IDs to illegal immigrants, and they don't really care how much they inconvenience legal immigrants in the process.

Actually, some people have trouble getting an ID with an EAD... most DPS or Department of Public Safety (our version of the DMV or Department of Motor Vehicles) employees don't know what an EAD is and will only accept a valid visa or a green card.

In addition to that, in big cities like Houston, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours in line at the DPS to get to the counter and after that you have to wait between 3 to 6 weeks to get your ID in the mail.

So many people just wait until they get their green cards to apply for a state ID or drivers license.