Driving license & Buying a car with K1 Visa

[alexbatalla 1]

Hello,

I read in other topics that you should wait until you have your Green Card to apply for a driving license. But I will need to buy a car before that, right after entering to the US with my K1 visa. Anyone knows if I am elligible to buy a car under my name?

I know I can drive legally but not sure how the buying and registering a car works.

My fiancée could be the legal owner of the car but when I get the actual driving license I would need to pay a large amount of taxes to put it in my name so I don't want to do that.

I will be living in California state.

Also, anyone knows how is the driving license test? Do I need to pass a written exam and a behind the wheel test again?

Thank you

[TBoneTX 46,124]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Moving to the US & Your New Life forum, where similar topics are discussed. ***

[NikLR 13,232]

Have you tried looking up the dmv in California?

[Lynkali 163]

I don't understand this "pay a large amount of taxes" to put it in your name. When my fiance-now-husband moved here to California, we added him to the title of my car for $15 DMV fee and that's it. No tax involved, at least not that I remember. So have your USCitizen spouse buy the car, and then transfer the title to joint names if you wish. I don't think you'll be able to buy a car without a SSN and a regular California driver license. I think your spouse will have to buy it if you need it right away, but the title transfer is literally painless and cheap.

[HGord 22]

Two things:

1. I will be keeping a close eye on this thread because I, too, am looking into buying a car on my K1 visa - I think my fiancé will buy it initially (using my money for the downpayment and financing the little that remains in his name due to his credit history etc). Then we will transfer it to my name - i have heard from my fiancé's family that this isn't a difficult or expensive thing to do.

2. I see you're moving to Elk Grove! I'll only be a few miles away in Sacramento! When are you moving?

[naire37 53]

It really varies by state. In California, here's the RMV website which you surely studied.

First off, actually being able to get on the road:

1. Driving License - if you have a foreign Driver's License

"Visitors over 18 years old with a valid driver license from their home state or country may drive in California without getting a California driver license as long as their home state driver license is valid." There is also some shady language on whether or not this is true for residents, but then again you're not a resident until you have your GC(?) - feel free to read more here.

I.e. basically you're good to drive with a foreign license as long as it's vaild.

2. CA Drivers License. In some states they only give you license that is good until the end of your current *legal* state in US, in K1 case, it's the 3 months. After that your US drivers will expire and until you get Green Card, you can't apply for a renew, as technically you're a bit in a legal jumbo, out of status. Having said that, this is *not* the case in MA; my husband got a license for 5 years (just married & filed for AOS after K1, no GC yet) - so check with your RMV; I haven't been able to get this info online.

Getting the license itself is not too bad. You'll need SSN & Birth Certificate (original + translated) + a couple of bills / statements showing your new home address. You may take the written test in any language.

3. Insurance (don't go on the road unless you got one).

Insurance companies will *love* to bite you in the back with a "new driver" premiums (very high cost). Make sure to get a paper saying that you've been driving for X years without any accidents to get an experienced driver discount. We're talking about a thousand dollars/year savings, so it's worth the fight. I ended up doing a shady-ish "translation" of a EU driver license with "License of this type first issued date" spelled out.

4. Buying a car.

No way to get around paying taxes unless your fiance already owns the car and just adds you to the title/co-owner/etc.

If you don't buy it as first thing off, see if you can get the financing on both of your names. Multiple benefits here: a, it will help you build your credit history way faster, and b, this paper trail is yet another proof of bona fide marriage for AOS. Same goes for title: put both names on it for AOS.

[Roy&Chanel 109]

It really depends on state i think. My husband and I bought a car on our own savings after we got married. I wanted to include my name in the title but the dealer told us that we couldn't because I do not have a driver's license even I do have a foreign one. And also, need to wait till Green card to get driver's license at DMV here. However, I got my state ID though. And also it is harder to get a car insurance since I do not have a US driver's license, I had to put under non driver car insurance which also costs alot. I suggest to wait till green card, but then again not sure how it works there but other vjers posted

It costs us around 800dollars for 6months to get a car insurance, he will be putting my name in when I get my license. We got just a normal sedan car and imagine if you were to get a coupe that prob costs more than a thousand over.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Roy&Chanel

[alexbatalla 1]

Thank you for all the information you provided to my concerns and questions. I will keep researching about it, especially with the DMV in California!

[MyMistaLovaLova 24]

I am in this same predicament.  Fortunately, my husband already has his driver's license and his SSN.  Which what it means by this post is that we are able to buy a car and I can be the co-signer of the financing of this car.  I am hoping they do not ask us for our Green card since that will not be coming until August or September

[zilchfox 296]

As per Assembly Bill 60, any California resident as of January 1st, 2015, can apply for a Driver's License, regardless of immigration status -- even illegal immigrants can apply! It's called an AB 60 license, and it allows you to legally drive within the State of California, although do note that there are federal restrictions on it, and it will have the words "FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY". Also it might not serve as a valid drivers license outside the state, but I'd assume you can upgrade this license as your status changes overtime.

 

You should have no problem getting a drivers license in California on a K-1 visa.

 

Also, driving tests in the U.S. are typically easy (at least compared to the Canadian tests... source: me)

Edited March 20, 2017 by zilchfox