CA driver license delayed due to legal presence check pending

axs2021

New Member
Hi ,

I applied for CA driver license under H1B. but its been almost 5 months , I haven't received the full license. DMV is extending my temporary license. They are saying that legal presence check is still pending ....

Please share your experience if you have gone through the same

Thanks

axs2021
 
USCIS is very slow to respond to such inquiries. My legal presence check in California took 4 months in 2001, and that was even before 9/11.
 
Or, it's their backlog because of issues with the new licence.
It does not look this way to me. There is certainly a backlog with the new licences, but it measures in weeks, not months. My new CA licence arrived 9 weeks after application this March, and the backlog has cleared to some degree since then. Five months delay looks more like another USCIS mess-up.
 
Madness! Sheer madness! I have been waiting for a CA drivers license for two years now. Everytime I think I make progress they need just one more piece of impossible information. Finally as of today I am on to what they tell me is the final stage, all they need is my SSN and EAD card photocopied, well heres hoping. I have faxed copies over 5 times now and they have not recieved them. They tell me to call back after I fax the copies, the only problem is that it takes 3 days to get through to any of the numbers. They are always busy and even when they ring they don't answer the phone. The California dept of motor vehicles reminds me of a 3rd world country business. It is so strange to me that something of this atrocious ineffiency would exist in a first world country. Well, here are some alternative numbers for the legal presence dept. for folks who are having a hard time getting through, I have hunted for them all over and maybe they will help another poor soul from wanting to smash their telephones:
915-657-6419
916-657-5834
916-657-7445 (i like this one)
916-657-7790

Fax: 916-657-0877

There is a man called Bill who works there that is very sweet (7445 number), but Suzanne is not. Good luck!!!!!!
 
eajointe worked

I got through on the 916-657-7445. I called every 5mins and got through after about the 10th attempt. From date of issue it takes between 60 and 90 days to verify your presence.
 
One-month after passing my DMV Test (which is 2-months after I submitted my Green Card and my SSN to the local DMV Field Office), I found myself in the same boat, ie., "... still pending confirmation of legal presence..."

I went "what...!?!" I gave them a copy of my Green Card and SSN on the day I applied for the Written Test, and they still havent verified 60-days later? Now, Im told it will take another 60-days for confirmation... Duh!?!

So, somehow, the DMV Technician got me a number to call (916) 657-7790. I redialed and redialed until I got connected on the 5th try. A quite stern lady told me to FAX my Green Card to (916) 657-5834 and call her back the next day after 10:00AM.

............. bummer .............

I would agree with the previous post that the CA DMV is just like a Third World country entity...

On the other hand, anyone here have some success on resolving their issue? How long after calling through (916) did they get their license?

PS: I really need my Driver License card so I could be granted an account with the local Credit Union, which could get me a SECURED credit card, and I could start building credit...
 
UPDATE

  • So, yesterday I faxed a copy of my Permanent Residence Card (US Green Card) yesterday, including the mailer portion that the USCIS uses when they send your Green Card to you.
  • As per instructions, I called again today. Used the number (916)-657-7445, as I wasnt getting through with (916) 657-7790.
  • They tell me that it will take another 3 to 4 weeks before I get my license card. *aaarrrggghhhh*
  • Basically another month...!?!
  • And with all my experiences with the California DMV, and how much I could relate it to a THIRD WORLD GOVERNMENT SERVICE, Im quite worried if I will indeed get it in 4-wks...

This is so CRAZY...!!! Or, is it just because it is California...? A "bankrupt" state?



One-month after passing my DMV Test (which is 2-months after I submitted my Green Card and my SSN to the local DMV Field Office), I found myself in the same boat, ie., "... still pending confirmation of legal presence..."

I went "what...!?!" I gave them a copy of my Green Card and SSN on the day I applied for the Written Test, and they still havent verified 60-days later? Now, Im told it will take another 60-days for confirmation... Duh!?!

So, somehow, the DMV Technician got me a number to call (916) 657-7790. I redialed and redialed until I got connected on the 5th try. A quite stern lady told me to FAX my Green Card to (916) 657-5834 and call her back the next day after 10:00AM.

............. bummer .............

I would agree with the previous post that the CA DMV is just like a Third World country entity...

On the other hand, anyone here have some success on resolving their issue? How long after calling through (916) did they get their license?

PS: I really need my Driver License card so I could be granted an account with the local Credit Union, which could get me a SECURED credit card, and I could start building credit...
 
California has always been like that. Yes, it does indeed resemble a "third world country", if you will. I had a very bad experience with California DMV 12 years ago when I applied for a licence whilst being not eligible for a SSN. I brought them the letter from the SSA stating that I am not eligible (H-4 status), and they said "OK"... Then, it took 4 months and 3 visits to the DMV to finally receive the licence. First, they said they were waiting for the INS response which was delayed for some reason, then after the received the response, they said they were waiting for the SSA confirmation which also took an awful lot of time. When I asked them why the letter from the SSA was not enough, they could not answer that question. Basically, according to them, it was always somebody else's fault but their own.
 
Exact same thing!

I can completely relate with this!!! Did you get your license already??? I am curious to know!

My license expired on 10/19/13, so I went to DMV before that date. I submitted a photocopy of my green card and got a temporary license valid until 01/15/14. I never knew that there was something wrong with the system before the temporary license expired. All I did was to check my mail everyday, hoping that the license would finally arrive.

Long story short, the expiry date arrived and I had to go to DMV again to get ANOTHER temporary license AGAIN (a big, big hassle since I have a 9-6 job!). I was told that the status is still pending from the Legal Presence Department. I was also given 2 numbers (916) 657-7445 and (916) 657 7790 and I have been trying to call each and every day, but to no avail! I either get a busy tone or a voice recording that they are closed. There was one time that I called at around 4:50 PM (which is still within their business hours MTThF 8-5/ W 9-5), got suddenly disconnected at 4:55 PM, and when I called back, got a voicemail that they are already closed! It was soooo frustrating.

So today, I finally got a chance to talk to this stern lady who told me to fax an enlarged copy of my green card, put her name on the Attention Line (otherwise the faxed copy will be discarded), and to call her after 10 AM tomorrow (good luck on that!).

I will surely have this done early tomorrow and I am hoping that I will finally have some closure on this issue. This is really getting out of hand and consuming my energy!

On a similar note, I have friends who also got their green card this year, but their previous license was not from CA. When took the written test to get a CA license, they were given the 5-year license in just about 10 days! It's so unfair! Why does it take longer to verify with USCIS for existing/current CA residents than those who were previously from another state? I just don't get it!




UPDATE

  • So, yesterday I faxed a copy of my Permanent Residence Card (US Green Card) yesterday, including the mailer portion that the USCIS uses when they send your Green Card to you.
  • As per instructions, I called again today. Used the number (916)-657-7445, as I wasnt getting through with (916) 657-7790.
  • They tell me that it will take another 3 to 4 weeks before I get my license card. *aaarrrggghhhh*
  • Basically another month...!?!
  • And with all my experiences with the California DMV, and how much I could relate it to a THIRD WORLD GOVERNMENT SERVICE, Im quite worried if I will indeed get it in 4-wks...

This is so CRAZY...!!! Or, is it just because it is California...? A "bankrupt" state?
 
I applied for DL Renewal through CA DMV in start of Jan 2014; luckily one of my friend informed me about delay in his DL renewal and third time visit to DMV for Temp DL. It was already 2 months since I applied for renewal - so I decided to google about it and landed in this forum. I called above DMV Sacramento number; which is quite hard to reach - always busy tone but some how I connected to someone called "Jackie". She digged into my DL renewal case and asked me to fax copies of Visa documents to #916-657-0877 followed by call next day at 10am. I followed her instruction and called same number next day - this time I was connected to some one else who confirmed about docs received through fax. He also asked me to wait for next 4-6 weeks.
To my surprise I received renewed DL in mail within 2 weeks.
I made sure to include "Jackie" name as Fax receiver; although she did not mention but I added photocopy of expired DL with Visa docs.
 
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Hi,
I gave my Behind the wheel exam couple of months back and got the temporary license till july 12th 2014 as my H1-B is expiring by September 2014!!. My Employer filed the extension and i got the receipt (acknowledgment from USCIS) that the extension is filed. Can i use this acknowledgment to get my license extended? If so do we have to book an appointment or can i walk in directly with the documents?? Please help me
 
Hi,

I want to thank everyone who posted replies on this forum because had it not been for you guys I would have had to wait for an indefinite period of time for my license. As of today, I spoke to someone at DMV and they told me my license has been mailed and will get to me in a week or so. Fingers crossed!

I moved to CA in April and in June, my husband and I applied for CA licenses. His came in the mail in the usual 3 weeks, but mine didn't. To make things worse, my visa status changed in this duration. In November, before my temporary license expired, I went to DMV and gave them my new visa information. The lady promised me that she will fax my documentation to the DMV and said that it's taking so long only because of verification of legal presence. In December, while browsing the web for something else, I found this forum and decided to call the 916-657-7445 number. After calling 11 times, Suzanne answered on the 12th try and was super helpful. She told me my records showed the old visa information still and they had not received the updated documentation. She asked me to fax all the visa documents and my request for change of address (because I had moved to a new address) over to her with her name on each page and call back in 2 days. I did so and called her to make sure everything had been received and updated. She told me it was all good and they would take another 3-4 weeks to send out my license. I decided to call her again today just to see if there were any updates and, lo and behold, Suzzane said everything has been verified by homeland security and they mailed out my license on December 29.

Here's hoping it gets to me in a week, like they promised. Good luck, everyone!
 
This maybe one of the saddest things. They don't answer your phone and then DMV tells you to keep trying. They honestly said, you just have to keep trying.

I tried and finally got hold of an Adam, who sounded like a robot.

The number i tried is 916-657-7445 and it worked after 10 times.

good luck! and screw you DMV
 
If you get stuck with the legal presence check, I wonder if it would be easier to just apply for the new AB60 driver's licenses that don't require legal presence document.
 
Hi,

I have passed behind-the-wheel test for almost 4 months, but I have not received my permanent driving license.

I called DMV and they told me I got stuck in Legal Presence and gave me a number to call 916-657-9970 and 916-657-7445 to verify my information. I have been trying to call for 3 weeks, hundreds of times, but never got through...Someone told me to add 1 before dial: 1 -916-657-9970, 1-916-657-7445, but the results were the same, still didn't get through.

I went to DMV again to extend my temporary DL, and they told me to call more diligently. Well, I have been calling all the morning, but never got through...and doubt if I am able to dial through to speak anyone in Legal Presence department.

When I dialed, the line was always busy and no one picked up my phone. Can anyone tell me how to dial to get it through? Is there any difference when you add 1 before you dial the number?

Or can I fax my Visa & Passport & I-20 to #916-657-0877 or (916) 657-5834 directly? I'm in F-2 Visa status BTW.

Thanks!
 
Hi,

I have passed behind-the-wheel test for almost 4 months, but I have not received my permanent driving license.

I called DMV and they told me I got stuck in Legal Presence and gave me a number to call 916-657-9970 and 916-657-7445 to verify my information. I have been trying to call for 3 weeks, hundreds of times, but never got through...Someone told me to add 1 before dial: 1 -916-657-9970, 1-916-657-7445, but the results were the same, still didn't get through.

I went to DMV again to extend my temporary DL, and they told me to call more diligently. Well, I have been calling all the morning, but never got through...and doubt if I am able to dial through to speak anyone in Legal Presence department.

When I dialed, the line was always busy and no one picked up my phone. Can anyone tell me how to dial to get it through? Is there any difference when you add 1 before you dial the number?

Or can I fax my Visa & Passport & I-20 to #916-657-0877 or (916) 657-5834 directly? I'm in F-2 Visa status BTW.

Thanks!

What I did was kept dialing their number non-stop, without a gap in between. At first it was busy and/or sounded like it's going to a fax machine. But on the 11th or 12th try, it rang and someone answered and it was relatively smooth after that. If they don't answer the call, just keep calling non-stop. Do not wait even 1 or 5 minutes between calls. After I spoke to them, I got my license within 3 weeks, while before that, it was stuck in "legal presence" stage from June till December.

Good luck.
 
Reading through these messages, it feels like deja vu. The same thing is causing a lot of trouble to me right now. I can only add that a lady I spoke in the legal department was rude saying some like she didn't have time running around and doing more than she had to. And also she told me that as of now it takes 5 business days to receive a response from USCIS (she said "federal government") which sounds like over promise. Why can't they have a shared db with USCIS so they could check a number with one click? Anyway, this is absolutely ridiculous, given the nature of AB60 bill and all the state taxes we have to pay to support all this madness.
 
What I did was kept dialing their number non-stop, without a gap in between. At first it was busy and/or sounded like it's going to a fax machine. But on the 11th or 12th try, it rang and someone answered and it was relatively smooth after that. If they don't answer the call, just keep calling non-stop. Do not wait even 1 or 5 minutes between calls. After I spoke to them, I got my license within 3 weeks, while before that, it was stuck in "legal presence" stage from June till December.

Good luck.
I met the same problem too. Did you fax them anything after you called them?
 
DMV legal assistance - is what the DMV politely puts it across. I think they need to seriously think of changing that name to something else. To get connected to them is like searching for a drop of water in a desert. One needs patience , patience to keep dialing in , patience to keep hearing the busy tone, patience to be dealing with the employees , who are rude , cut you off, some have these racial undertone ...once you cross that then the BIG challenge is of patiently waiting, waiting for them to take action, waiting for the diff so called stages of approval as indicated by them. So in my case DL was expiring 03/13/15 , went in for renewal 0n 03/07/15, submitted ALL documents with legal presence , passport copy. Then waited waited for almost 2 months made 4 visits to local DMV , got to know that its with the so called Legal presence team, called their number, the old man picks up gives a lecture on immigrants and their backlog of work. Says call back next week to fax the copy, we only need copy of passport and i94. I asked that was submitted to the DMV...I get the best illogical answer of the 21st century " Sir you submitted ur copy to the DMV of ur new i94 which is effective 03/13 on 03/07 , which is 6days before, therefore it needs to be submitted again. I was like huh, isnt that the process of submitting a continuation of ur i94 legal presence, when you go for a renewal/extn, why would one say you submitted it 6 days early.......I am still contemplating.....but then I had to comply and say Thy word is the ULTIMATE , thou art the EMPEROR. So in short the legal team finger points to the Federal govt or each other.....now thats called being ' SANDWICHED' Take a deep breather , practice Yoga, go for a walk....this needs Patience....if you havent learnt what it is....you will learn it the hard way post ur experience.
So long story short , called up next week like an Obedient man and unfortunately goes to this cranky lady after on hold for 15 min. Well are you expecting someone to tell you ' Sorry to keep you on HOLD, are you ????? Well hell no , its YOU to THANK them for responding thats how it works, rudeness is just an understatement , try my best to give a background of the last call, cuts me off , says Legal presence pending confirmation from federal, but before I could ask and remind her of what the last person is she hangs up.....So again its a wait till next week.
I have heard stories of waiting ranging from 3months to over 2 years......
The Legal presence Assistance seems and sounds like handling all Illegal people...thats how they sound when they talk to any individual , who is eagerly waiting to have a photo id , comply to all the legal documentation listed by DMV.......Innocence lost in this struggle for an identity
 
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