Its time for a mass congressional inquiry?

[solus 19]

2 hours ago, Hamilton said:

Oh cool. Once I finally get my 2 year GC, I might go down to the DMV and ask about it, then. 

 

Make sure you get your social security card first because they do require that.  

[solus 19]

1 hour ago, mindthegap said:

Maybe not the case for the 2yr GC then (I was in a different state then which did have it, and assumed NY would be the same), but definitely the case for ROC on a NY license...or maybe you got lucky!

I give up even trying to understand the NY DMV...

 

Chris had no issues getting anything from them.  We had his social security card, his greencard, one bill from ConEd, a bank statement, our marriage certificate, and his passport.  They either did not notice or did not care this his social security card does still have the "only valid with DHS work authorization" line.  Done and out.  Easy.

 

My mother, on the other hand, has been divorced since 1989 and they will not let her use her maiden name until she gets an official divorce decree from California, which she cannot get until she goes there again despite the fact that her social, California DL, bank accounts, credit cards, passport, etc, are all in her maiden name, and have been since 1989.  She basically cannot show her NY DL and her passport at the same time because they have different last names.  So, if you ever changed your name, seriously, ever, bring the official documents for that in NY...  I should mention that she is from NY, so her social showed her married name in the system.  She has been fighting this since she moved back from CA in 2014.

 

Our closest office is White Plains as we live in an out of the way village.  It's entirely possible that they do not know what they are doing.  It worked out for Chris, not so much for my mom.

[mindthegap 2,610]

Thats the DMV for you - competing with USCIS for the crown of most inconsistent and frustratingly useless bureaucratic organisation with the most inept staff.

Edited March 14, 2018 by mindthegap

[br9k 23]

6 hours ago, solus said:

 

 

My mother, on the other hand, has been divorced since 1989 and they will not let her use her maiden name until she gets an official divorce decree from California, which she cannot get until she goes there again despite the fact that her social, California DL, bank accounts, credit cards, passport, etc, are all in her maiden name, and have been since 1989.  She basically cannot show her NY DL and her passport at the same time because they have different last names.  So, if you ever changed your name, seriously, ever, bring the official documents for that in NY...  I should mention that she is from NY, so her social showed her married name in the system.  She has been fighting this since she moved back from CA in 2014.

 

 

Not the VJ topic, but why would one need to physically go to another state to get an official divorce decree from that state? Normally this process can be done entirely by mail (and, while California is always special, I am fairly sure in this regard it will be similar to other states).

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Obtaining-Certified-Copies-of-Marriage--Divorce-Records.aspx

[solus 19]

2 minutes ago, br9k said:

Not the VJ topic, but why would one need to physically go to another state to get an official divorce decree from that state? Normally this process can be done entirely by mail (and, while California is always special, I am fairly sure in this regard it will be similar to other states).

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Obtaining-Certified-Copies-of-Marriage--Divorce-Records.aspx

 

Thank you for the information, but we are familiar with the process.  If you read the section of divorce you can see that they don't process certified copies, which the DMV needs, for 1989, and they don't certify whether or not the divorce was completed.

 

In San Diego County, you can only request a file from the microfilm archive by mail or in person.  If you do it by mail, they will only provide the short form version which does not include the final and full decree if it contains information about minor children (which it did).  You must go, in person, with ID proving that you are one of the spouses, to obtain a full certified copy.

 

The processing time for archived files is about 6 months.  By the time my mother moved here, went to the DMV, was sent back home twice for other things proving her name, was finally told they would not do it without a certified copy of the divorce decree, requested the divorce decree, waited 6 months to receive it, sent it back to Sacramento for certification, went back to the DMV, only to find out they don't accept the short form, and called San Diego again, she was having serious sinus problems and could not fly.  She will have surgery next month to correct the problem and, after she recovers, will finally be able to go retrieve it.  I expect that by that point they will have changed the rules and want something else...

 

Seriously, it's not always straightforward even if you are a USC...  I learned from her and got about 10 certified copies of my long and short form marriage certificates just in case.  And two with apostilles for good measure.

 

Other vital records are easier.  I was able to get a certified copies of my birth certificate from California for the K-1, marriage, AOS, BBG (German only issue, its a certificate that allows Chris to obtain dual citizenship rather than losing his German citizenship), in about a week.  I was also able to include a letter, two addressed and stamped envelopes, and two checks to have vital records send them over to get an apostille on the one I needed for Germany before they sent them back to me.  No hassle ot stress.