Issues getting WI drivers instructions permit

[jg121783 3,915]

I am currently sitting at the DMV with my wife. She just passed her test for an instructions permit. The problem is the idiot at the DMV won't accept her visa as a temporary I-551. He said we either need the actual I-551 or an I-94 which customs told me they don't issue anymore. Furthermore customs told me her visa should be sufficient to get a drivers licence. After arguing about it for almost an hour the DMV rep sent all the paperwork to the Madison office and we are waiting for an answer from them. Am I correct that her visa should be sufficient?

[broppy 204]

6 minutes ago, jg121783 said:

Am I correct that her visa should be sufficient?

Yes. Absolutely correct. Her stamped visa is a green card. It is an I-551. The DMV idiot is wrong. 

[Cryssiekins 976]

Did she enter the US with a CR1 visa or a K Visa?

 

If the first, then yes, the visa will suffice.

 

If the later, you'll need the i94 (can be obtained online) and the marriage certificate. 

 

The DMV is a disaster.  They seemingly act like they don't deal with immigration which astounds me given the amount of people who immigrate to the US - surely a majority of immigrants have drivers licenses.

 

Good luck, hopefully it's resolved today for you guys as to not waste copious amounts of your time. 

[jg121783 3,915]

Well the people in Madison immediately realized her visa is a valid green card. It took about 3 hours of going back and forth but we got her instructions permit. The guy told me they must have processed it with her A number and he wasn't sure how they did it. I told him they probably saw that her visa is a temporary green card and he said he is sure that is not it. He also wouldn't accept our lease with my wife's name on it as proof of address because the landlords phone number wasn't on it so I just wrote the phone number on it and handed it back to him. What an idiot. Anyways this headache is over now.

 

On a related note it looks like my wife is about to get a job offer for a pretty decent job (hence the need for her drivers license). Her visa and SS card should be all she needs to get a job right?

[Cryssiekins 976]

12 minutes ago, jg121783 said:

Well the people in Madison immediately realized her visa is a valid green card. It took about 3 hours of going back and forth but we got her instructions permit. The guy told me they must have processed it with her A number and he wasn't sure how they did it. I told him they probably saw that her visa is a temporary green card and he said he is sure that is not it. He also wouldn't accept our lease with my wife's name on it as proof of address because the landlords phone number wasn't on it so I just wrote the phone number on it and handed it back to him. What an idiot. Anyways this headache is over now.

 

On a related note it looks like my wife is about to get a job offer for a pretty decent job (hence the need for her drivers license). Her visa and SS card should be all she needs to get a job right?

Yes. Visa is the proof that she is eligible to accept employment in the US.

 

Glad you got it all figured out :-)

[Ontarkie 14,224]

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from the Philippines forum as this question comes up a lot and is not Philippines specific.~~

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Ever since my wife has walked the steps of getting a DL and renewing it we have experienced the nightmare described by the OP.  We have even gone to the length of going from one office that declines us to another office that approves. Funny thing is we have had to reverse the visit on an occasion as the one that approved last time didn't approve on this go around so, back to the other office where we didn't get approved to get the approval.    You just have to be persistent and when you think you are right then go up above just like the OP did.  There are people in their main offices that understand immigration but those in the field seem to know very little.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Greenbaum

[jg121783 3,915]

If it was just a matter of not knowing it wouldn't have been such a big deal or taken so much time. This guy was on some weird power trip where I couldn't even get him to talk to someone above him without having to argue with him to the point of causing a scene. He believed everything he was saying was right even up to the end when the main office in Madison approved the permit. It was a horrible experience and I am sure it won't be the last related to immigration issues. By the way this guy does the driving tests in the town we live in so when it comes time for that we are going to the DMV 45 minutes away.

[RO_AH 1,659]

16 hours ago, jg121783 said:

If it was just a matter of not knowing it wouldn't have been such a big deal or taken so much time. This guy was on some weird power trip where I couldn't even get him to talk to someone above him without having to argue with him to the point of causing a scene. He believed everything he was saying was right even up to the end when the main office in Madison approved the permit. It was a horrible experience and I am sure it won't be the last related to immigration issues. By the way this guy does the driving tests in the town we live in so when it comes time for that we are going to the DMV 45 minutes away.

As the saying goes, there's an idiot born every minute...Unfortunately a lot of them have government jobs.

[jg121783 3,915]

The funny thing is my wife got her green card in the mail today. I wasn't expecting this because I paid the fee not even 2 weeks ago and the website said it could be up to 120 days. If we had waited one more week we could have avoided the headache at the DMV (maybe).

[MrChamploo 45]

We did not have that problem thankfully,

We did not go for a DL as she does not know how to drive well yet . We got a State ID just for the reason of avoiding confusion if something were to come up and they took it right away,no questions or anything. 

 

Sorry you had a rough time but with a DL it should not be an issue anymore.