Applying for a drivers license in CA, after entering the US

[Lana&Ivy 215]

On 12/16/2019 at 6:52 PM, Kris Everett said:

 

 

Does anyone have any advice for me on if i need to take another trip down to the DMV and complain or if I do in fact need to go through secondary review as i don't have a SSN? If i do need to follow secondary review does anyone know how long it will take to actually get the license after i sit the interview?  

 

 

I went through the secondary review for the AB60 as well.  Once you get the approval letter in the mail (about 4-6 weeks after your appointment) schedule your office visit to complete your application, and your behind the wheel test (via phone) in Lake Isabella.  They can schedule about a week out and both appointments on the same day.  I'm in LA, as well, and there is no DMV less busy that Lake Isabella.  Worth the drive.

[Globetrotters 1]

I recently went through the process of getting the AB60 myself, so I thought it would be good to reply to this thread so that people can find some up-to-date information since this thread has helped me.

 

I'm in the Bay Area. Here's my timeline leading up to me getting the AB60 driver's license:

 

9 Sep 2021: Arrived in SFO with K1 visa

10 Sep 2021: Scheduled in-person appointment with the local social security administration office over the phone

18 Sep 2021: Got married (no name change involved)

24 Sep 2021: Applied for SSN in person. Appointment went smoothly, I wasn't asked whether I was married or not. I'm mentioning this last bit because when I called the SSA in August to ask whether it was important to apply for an SSN before or after getting married the guy on the phone insisted VERY STRONGLY that I had to apply BEFORE getting married. However, I couldn't get an appointment before the wedding, so I decided to go ahead anyway and called to book my appointment on Sep 10 (as written above), this time talking to a different person, and no one at the SSA cared about my marital status after that. Just goes to show that people at the SSA do not seem to agree about what an immigrant can or cannot do at a given time point...

12 Oct 2021: Got my SSN in the mail

20 Oct 2021: Filled in the online application for a driver's license on the DMV website

21 Oct 2021: got the NOA that the National Benefits Center received my AOS package

1 Nov 2021: Went to the Santa Clara DMV to apply for the AB60. Showed them the confirmation number I got from the online application and was given a number. I had called the DMV number several days before to make an appointment (you cannot currently make an appointment using their website) for this day at 9:10 for which I got a confirmation number but they didn't care about that, only looked at the online application number and ignored my scheduled appointment. Luckily, the wait was pretty short, and they called me to the counter at 9:30. I told the lady that I wanted to apply for an AB60 and gave her my passport, I-94, my latest NOA (showing that the National Benefits Center received my adjustment of status package) and social security card (still attached to the slip that showed my address). She was confused at first that I had a social security number but wanted to apply for an AB60. After trying to explain my visa status to her, she consulted her supervisor and decided that it was OK. She told me that once I receive my EAD or green card, I need to come back to switch to a normal driver's license. Passed the theory test and went home at around 10:15 and booked my driving test the next day.

Nov 5 2021: Passed the behind-the-wheel test at the Oakland Coliseum DMV (about an hour from where I live, they had the soonest appointment available in the area). Went pretty fast, I showed up at the DMV at 11:10 and was out  by 12:00!

Nov 17 2021: Got my AB60 in the mail! 

 

All in all, my experience was pretty smooth (to my pleasant surprise), I think dreading going to the DMV was worse than what I had to go through. Everything went pretty fast, it took about 2.5 weeks between my first visit at the DMV and the day I got the AB60 in the mail! No secondary review or other issues... 

 

I hope this is helpful for other people!