Drivers licence

[SE18 2]

My 19-yr-old "daughter" arrived with mom a month ago from Philippines via K-1. The wife and daughter have international drivers licenses but they expire in september. Both need DL to drive. Went to Viriginia DMV today and they refused to issue licenses b/c they said we had no proof they live at the address I live, despite showing marriage certificate, military ID, etc. They said bank statement, but since the 19-yr old doesn't have a SSN, the bank (credit union) won't allow her to have an account. Post Office change of address is impossible. We went there today and they said you have to transfer from one US address to another US address, not overseas. Has anyone ever dealt with the problems I'm having in proving they live at the address they live at? BTW, I asked DMV how homeless people get DL and they told me that the homeless shelters certify them. That's nice for them, but doesn't help me.

 

My job requires traveling for extended periods and we live in suburbs and without a car they can't even buy food!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Transborderwife 4,666]

They need their EAD first.  This is pretty common.  Any license issued would expire upon their i-94 expiry

Edited July 19, 2017 by Transborderwife

[Coco8 1,042]

By the way, Bank of America allows you to get a bank account without SSN. You can add it later.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

As does Wells Fargo 

[SE18 2]

Thanks all. I will try a bank that doesn't ask for SSN. 

[Transborderwife 4,666]

1 minute ago, SE18 said:

Thanks all. I will try a bank that doesn't ask for SSN. 

You may need to be on the account with your SSN but they'll add her without 

[Fr8dog 312]

The Virginia DMV demanded a bank statement for me as well. Even an US pilot license was not enough proof. 

Also they might be unwilling to issue based on the K1 and if the do it will be only until the I-94 date. They do accept NOA-1 for the AOS paperwork and will issue one for a year.

 

[Tahoma 2,292]

I opened a joint account for Chinook and me at Wells Fargo before she even came to the U.S.  When Chinook came to the U.S. and got her Social Security number, we took it in to Wells Fargo.  

[Ontarkie 14,193]

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from K1 P&P - as this is not a K1 processing topic.~~

[doggieandsam 765]

On 7/21/2017 at 1:01 AM, Tahoma said:

I opened a joint account for Chinook and me at Wells Fargo before she even came to the U.S.  When Chinook came to the U.S. and got her Social Security number, we took it in to Wells Fargo.  

hi - i was wondering if this was at all possible. i would be very keen to do so! please can you share how you did it? what documents you need to provide? i will soon be arriving on a k1 and my fiance has a wells fargo account. thanks.

[SE18 2]

DMV (Virginia) accepted our bank statements. The bank statements need to show address and name. Bank of America opened an account for 19 year old without an SSN. Wife got into credit union and showed statement. 

 

Problem was both failed written exam. Daughter by one point and wife by six questions. 

 

I told wife that other foreigners pass exam and so now she's angry with me b/c she thinks I insulted her intelligence. As soon as she opens the locked door I'll tell her it's common for foreigners to exam more than once. Have any of you taken more than once?

 

Thanks, hope I'm helpful to someone (besides my wife)

 

Thanks for pointing me to BOA and Wells Fargo. I didn't try wells fargo but merchantile bank required SSN.

[SE18 2]

sorry, didn't fully answer Qs previous poster: bring every document you can: marriage cert, passport, Philippine DL, International DL, etc. We also brought our military IDs since I'm retired and they're on tricare. When in doubt, bring bring bring!!

 

And if the DMV are as*es about it, try a different DMV

 

hope that helps; you've been helpful to me so trying to help others along

[doggieandsam 765]

8 hours ago, SE18 said:

DMV (Virginia) accepted our bank statements. The bank statements need to show address and name. Bank of America opened an account for 19 year old without an SSN. Wife got into credit union and showed statement. 

 

Problem was both failed written exam. Daughter by one point and wife by six questions. 

 

I told wife that other foreigners pass exam and so now she's angry with me b/c she thinks I insulted her intelligence. As soon as she opens the locked door I'll tell her it's common for foreigners to exam more than once. Have any of you taken more than once?

 

Thanks, hope I'm helpful to someone (besides my wife)

 

Thanks for pointing me to BOA and Wells Fargo. I didn't try wells fargo but merchantile bank required SSN.

You have given me hope! I am really worried that DMV Virginia will insist on an EAD in order to issue a driver's license (I will arrive on a K1 visa). They still may insist on it, but based on your post, I will now try with my passport, international license, SSN, bank statement and utility bill. Hope it will work out.

 

And yes, I think you are right that is is common for foreigners to take several tries to pass the exam. This is not a measure of their intelligence or driving capability at all. It is more a case of difference in rules (and unwritten rules) that a foreigner can miss or may take longer to be familiar with. Add to this if a foreigner is already driving in their home country - sometimes we develop our own driving habits etc and those can be hard to break! tell your wife not to worry about it and try again.

 

PS - wouldn't hurt if you say sorry about the perceived insult to her intelligence first!  good luck!

[doggieandsam 765]

On 7/20/2017 at 2:09 AM, SE18 said:

My 19-yr-old "daughter" arrived with mom a month ago from Philippines via K-1. The wife and daughter have international drivers licenses but they expire in september. Both need DL to drive. Went to Viriginia DMV today and they refused to issue licenses b/c they said we had no proof they live at the address I live, despite showing marriage certificate, military ID, etc. They said bank statement, but since the 19-yr old doesn't have a SSN, the bank (credit union) won't allow her to have an account. Post Office change of address is impossible. We went there today and they said you have to transfer from one US address to another US address, not overseas. Has anyone ever dealt with the problems I'm having in proving they live at the address they live at? BTW, I asked DMV how homeless people get DL and they told me that the homeless shelters certify them. That's nice for them, but doesn't help me.

 

My job requires traveling for extended periods and we live in suburbs and without a car they can't even buy food!

 

Thanks in advance!

hi - i saw this just now. am i right to assume that your wife (who arrived on a K1) was able to use her international drivers license? was this from the time she arrived and before she got her EAD / green card?

 

i will be arriving on a K1 and would really like to be able to drive as soon as I land so your advise would be appreciated! thanks!

[SE18 2]

Yes, my wife was using her international DL (daughter has one as well), but it expires in 2 months. They got it a year ago when they thought they were coming over but we didn't realize that the K-1 process would take almost a year due to the TB exam needing a few months to monitor and slower than expected work by State and USCIS who don't seem to share their databases and ask for the same information like on the bios, but I digress.

 

In any case, it also helped that they brought their Philippine drivers licenses. The DMV was interested in seeing those as well.

 

Once you get bank statements for your wife, that's what DMV in virginia uses to prove residency. I drew up a rental agreement and had it notorized (renting my home to them, thinking it would prove residency as it's on the list of accepted documents), but they were jerks about it and refused despite it being on the list. That's why we resorted to the bank statements.

 

My understanding is that some DMVs are better than others so if you don't get the results you want, shop around.

 

We patched up last night and will trip over to DMV during lunch to try again.

 

Good luck!