HELP!! Driver's license will expire before new green card arrives!

[chelle37 2]

Hello everyone,

We are in need of some advice ASAP. My husband is a permanent resident, has been in the US since 2013 on a K-1 visa and applied for his I-751 (to extend his green card for 10 years) last August 2015. He received the Notice of Action on July 15, 2016 stating that his request for the removal of the conditional basis of permanent resident status has been approved and he will receive his new 10-year green card within 60 days. However, last year his driver's license was only allowed to be renewed until August 4, 2016 because of the pending status.

He went to the DMV today (we live in Pennsylvania). He was told he MAY NOT renew his driver's license until he receives his new green card. BUT his license will expire next Thursday!! The DMV worker told him he should just car pool to work until his green card comes. #######?! That is absolutely ridiculous - we have 2 cars for a reason because we are both busy and he is going to MN next week for a business trip in which he will need to rent a car!!! Has anyone been in this situation before and if so how did you handle it? We are desperate for some quick advice if anyone has it!!

Thank you so much!

Michelle

[EM_Vandaveer 2,408]

You should get the new GC before his DL expires. I know the letter says 60 days, but it's most likely within 3 weeks.

Edited July 29, 2016 by EM_Vandaveer

[Bakemma 4]

Most DMVs can create a letter of extension with your approval paperwork. They can create a letter on DMV letter head or with a stamp that states he can drive for 2 weeks or 4 weeks or 60 days or whatever. " Here in Florida it was 4 weeks) ButI think thats only valid if pulled over by the police, not official enough for a rental car agency.

[RobertM54 36]

If all else fails, get Uber on your mobile device. Reasonably cost effective.

[chelle37 2]

Thank you all! That would be nice if the green card came soon, but I don't know if we can take the risk. We are going back to the DMV in the AM to see if they will at least extend the license until 9/30 which would be a year from when his last one expired - we think they made a mistake by only extending it to 8/4 in the first place. But if they refuse we have an InfoPass appt 2.5 hours away on 8/4 (the only appt available anywhere near us) to get an I-551 stamp in his passport (which i was not aware you could do - if i would have known we would have done that a long time ago), and then we will go straight to the DMV after that to renew the license that day! So frustrating but hopefully it works out. And yes, he can can use uber for his business trip if needed. Thanks again for the tips- I appreciate it!

[allajustin 18]

On 7/29/2016 at 7:26 PM, chelle37 said:

Thank you all! That would be nice if the green card came soon, but I don't know if we can take the risk. We are going back to the DMV in the AM to see if they will at least extend the license until 9/30 which would be a year from when his last one expired - we think they made a mistake by only extending it to 8/4 in the first place. But if they refuse we have an InfoPass appt 2.5 hours away on 8/4 (the only appt available anywhere near us) to get an I-551 stamp in his passport (which i was not aware you could do - if i would have known we would have done that a long time ago), and then we will go straight to the DMV after that to renew the license that day! So frustrating but hopefully it works out. And yes, he can can use uber for his business trip if needed. Thanks again for the tips- I appreciate it!

Hi Chelle37, we are in the same situation, could you please inform us here what you ended up doing? I see your local office is also Pittsburgh, did you have your I-551 stamp applied? OR new Green Card arrived before driving license expired? Thank you!

[chelle37 2]

31 minutes ago, allajustin said:

Hi Chelle37, we are in the same situation, could you please inform us here what you ended up doing? I see your local office is also Pittsburgh, did you have your I-551 stamp applied? OR new Green Card arrived before driving license expired? Thank you!

Hello...my husband ended up going back to the DMV 2 more times and the second time he convinced them to let him talk to a manager. The manager finally agreed that it was a mistake and they extended his license until the green card expiration date. So we were able to cancel the appointment and he never got an I-551 stamp. Then when he got his new green card a few weeks later he went back and got a new license. Hope this helps!

[allajustin 18]

1 minute ago, chelle37 said:

Hello...my husband ended up going back to the DMV 2 more times and the second time he convinced them to let him talk to a manager. The manager finally agreed that it was a mistake and they extended his license until the green card expiration date. So we were able to cancel the appointment and he never got an I-551 stamp. Then when he got his new green card a few weeks later he went back and got a new license. Hope this helps!

Great, thank you! Hopefully the new green card arrives before driving license expires in two weeks. I also don't feel like driving to Pittsburgh just for I-551 stamp.