**** Bad DL renewal expereince at NJ ***

bunchofquestion

Registered Users (C)
Just wanted to share/vent out our driving license renewal experience at Regional DMV office in Trenton NJ. Last Saturday we went to DMV office at Mercer county to renew my wife's license which is expiring in March. We were asked to go to Trenton because of our status (???!!!). Because they don't have the facility to check INS database for our status. They didn't accept when I told them I got my license renewed from the same office just 2 months ago.

We went to Trenton. Supervisors at Trenton were literally harassing and abusing Indians. They were very rude. One of the officer by name Howard (don't know his last name) looked at her EAD card and said he can only renew until April 1st 2004. Reason was, since INS is backed up and if we don't get our approvals by then we might go back to our country. I tried to explain him that EAD is only a work permit. EAD doesn't determine one's stay in this country. But he cut me off and was so rude that he said that he doesn't want to listen even a single word from me. I showed him the passport with Parollee stamp valid til July 2004. He took it and went to another supervisor by name Michael LaPasso. We saw Mike yelling at another Indian couples just few minutes ago. Mike came to us and looked at the passport and said the Parollee stamp date was altered so he can't believe that. In order to renew the license until July then we need another Parolloee stamp (???!!!). In this whole argument, Howard mentioned to us that "Its not that you're illegal immigrants and I am calling the cops to check". Both Haward and Mike looked at our 485 notice date and said "This notice is old, dated Feb 2002 and it says 365 days which means it is out dated, need an updated receipt notice from INS". When I heard that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When I told him that we get only one receipt and after that it is either approval or other notice requesting more info. Both didn't listen to us.

Mike made us wait for a long time (we also had a 9 month old baby) and took us to his office to talk. He attended to other white people who came after us. Finally when we were sitting in his office, for the first 5 minutes or so he was doing other work and we were just sitting and twidling our thumbs. Then he was saying the same thing, that the passport was altered. He can only renew until April 1st 2004 (expiry of EAD card). He got angry and said he is running out of patience and we are not behaving properly. When I tried to explain him, he stopped me and said that I can't talk. Then he asked me to sit back and relax. When I asked him to check the computer for the actual dates and her status and determine her genuinity he got even more angry. Then we left the room confused whether to renew it at regional or mercer county office. We came out of that office with anger, felt disrespected, humiliated, agnonised and you name it...

We were just thinking, look what this f*** GC thing has brought us, lost our self dignity in front of so many people. Personally I feel like after getting the card, I am going to spit on it, stamp it with my foot, toss it in the trash. I don't know what I will do with it.

I want to take some action and teach the DMV guys a lesson. Sorry for the long note and thanks for reading.
 
Leave NJ.
I renewed my DL online last year, in MA. I did need to provide valid document when I got first DL, after that, they never ask anything other than your expiring DL.
 
Sorry to hear your experience

Go to the Eatontown one it is much faster and the people are nice. My wife and I got our licenses renewed in Nov and Dec, without any problems. It was much faster too.

Eatontown
109 Route 36. (East of Route 35)
Eatontown, NJ 07724

Take your social security card, passport, EAD, and some letter that is addressed to your wife for proof of residence.

Good luck
 
Sorry for the trouble

I guess I experienced something similar ...not with dmv but with the ncsc.
The operator transferred me to officer. on hearing my receipt date which is after the actual posted date, the officer became angry and said that i was much behind the date they were processing.
I mentioned that i understood this and then officer asked me why did I call. I explained that i alreadyreplied to an rfe and was wondering about it. officer went on to ask me if i did not understand what was being said and if I did, then I should not be wasting my time. I apologized to the officer for "wasting my and their time". My feeling cannot be described. And all this after I was recommended for GC by almost all the federal institutions in the country.
This morning really was miserable.
 
Yeah , NJ has been Horrible , probably bcos Md.atta got his license from NJ....... ( fake one) ........ hmmm.... I was listening on a radio talk show one lady was harrassed similarly....... she was asked to get a "DOB" certificate .....unfortunately she wanst married at the time of birth , so her last name was differnt on the DOB certificate and her old license ,

she was married for 30+ yrs....and her marriage certificate was in rags......guess what , she never got her license renewed ..

Markandey
 
Contact some local newspaper and write your experience, also make sure it is published.

Search this forum for Cinta's experience at DMV. He also wrote to local newspaper and DMV responded properly after that.

Thanks.
 
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Same Horrible exp with NJ license at Eatontown center

Hi,
I also want to share my horrible experience at eatontown dmv in Mar 2002. I moved to NJ from MI & was on H1 (Now EAD). I went to eatontown regional center for NJ DL along with my wife.
Right from the beginning we were treated like dirt. Nobody was telling us the procedure to follow where to wait etc. My wife was 8 months pregnant at that time. After waiting for 3 hours they called me with my papers & told me that I have altered my H1 approval notice as there was a ink dot between my first & last name on the bottom I-94 portion of the notice. I had never noticed this thing until they told me. They started yelling at me saying that I scratched my middle initial from my H1 approval notice. By doing this I have committed an offense so I can be arrested. For god sake why would I alter my visa paper. Am I fool ? My all the H1 notices don't have my middle initial & never ever had any problem with that.
When I tried to explain the manager all this he told me to shut up & told me that if I don't leave the bldg he will call police to arrest me. My wife started crying & at that stage I decided to leave the dmv as my wife was not in position to even stand.

Then I just continued to use my Mi license till I got EAD & got NJ license from trenton dmv without any problems.
I find this attitude more in NJ where there are lots of immigrants. MI was an ideal place.

Samy70
 
Thanks for all the replies. It appeared to us that they had decided not to renew my wife's license. So they were reasons. Personally I feel DMV guys should learn a lesson. Like Edison mentioned, I am planning to contact the local newspaper, send a letter a Jim McGreevey and the top guy at DMV. Beyond that I don't know if there are any non-profit or federal organisations that provide support to non-immigrants and their rights. Those guys at the DMV office don't like us talking. We should listen to whatever crap their saying. If we start asking valid questions they don't like us.

Sorry to hear about others experiences too. Those guys forgot that their salaries are paid from our taxes. I guess its a typical government employee attitude. Just like to way Air India fellows behave with people.
 
Sorry to hear that.

Guess it is better to stay in the neighbouring state. I don't know what the procedure is in PA or NY? Anybody living in those states? Unfortunately, There doesn't seem to be any rationale.
 
Hi
I got my Wife DL renewed at eatTown today.
Our Visa is till feb 20th 2004.
2nd EAD Expiry is May 30th 2004
Applied for 3rd EAD

We got her DL, although it was only till Expiry of her EAD.
I was hoping she get it for 4 years. But they went accordiong to EAD Expiry.
Buit folks at Eatontown were good they didn't ask bunch of questions. I think they renew only till EAD Expiry, really couldn't question them much.
They were polite and said DL will be renewd till EAD Expiration, and said you can come back and renew when you get nmew EAD.

BuT I hate what experience some pppl had, they treat us like a 3rd Grade People.
But EATONTOWN folks were good, well we didn't expect read carpet welcome, but I guess they behaved to us the same way they would have treated any other Citizen


Just to share my Exp.
I guess I will renew when I get my 3rd EAD or hopefully GC Approval

My
RD is April 2002

Thanks
 
Sorry to hear this

I guess from now on we should also not take things laying down. If the person behind the counter is rude, we should politely inform them that we find their behavior offensive. If they persist, we should ask for their name and badge number, thank them and leave. Then we could file a complaint or do other things. But it is important not to get emotional while in their presence.
 
If people are willing - this problem can be solved. I had almost same problem in NC. I went as high as DMV commisioner's office. I was willing to go till Governor of NC if justice is not done.

I would suggest - we should get some action. We can send individually, Faxes to James McGreevy, Governor, NJ to address this problem. Most of the time DMV people behave like this - cause they are given wrong notion about their power. Once issue is addressed by Governor and a modus operandi is declared - it will be less hassle for rest of us. DMV guys are trying their knowledge about immigration issue.

Will someone like to draft a sketch of Fax? Fax is more relaible then emails and is read more often. I can fax it adding my own experience to it.

We need to fix the issue - instead of cribbing again and again (heard it for last 3.5 years now.)

We are facing racist undercurrents cause we are not standing for ourself. No one and absolutely no one will stand for you unless you stand for yourself. And did not you knew that you have to stand for yourself and your family when you left your home country?
 
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Originally posted by bunchofquestion
Just wanted to share/vent out our driving license renewal experience at Regional DMV office in Trenton NJ. Last Saturday we went to DMV office at Mercer county to renew my wife's license which is expiring in March. We were asked to go to Trenton because of our status (???!!!). Because they don't have the facility to check INS database for our status. They didn't accept when I told them I got my license renewed from the same office just 2 months ago.

We went to Trenton. Supervisors at Trenton were literally harassing and abusing Indians. They were very rude. One of the officer by name Howard (don't know his last name) looked at her EAD card and said he can only renew until April 1st 2004. Reason was, since INS is backed up and if we don't get our approvals by then we might go back to our country. I tried to explain him that EAD is only a work permit. EAD doesn't determine one's stay in this country. But he cut me off and was so rude that he said that he doesn't want to listen even a single word from me. I showed him the passport with Parollee stamp valid til July 2004. He took it and went to another supervisor by name Michael LaPasso. We saw Mike yelling at another Indian couples just few minutes ago. Mike came to us and looked at the passport and said the Parollee stamp date was altered so he can't believe that. In order to renew the license until July then we need another Parolloee stamp (???!!!). In this whole argument, Howard mentioned to us that "Its not that you're illegal immigrants and I am calling the cops to check". Both Haward and Mike looked at our 485 notice date and said "This notice is old, dated Feb 2002 and it says 365 days which means it is out dated, need an updated receipt notice from INS". When I heard that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When I told him that we get only one receipt and after that it is either approval or other notice requesting more info. Both didn't listen to us.

Mike made us wait for a long time (we also had a 9 month old baby) and took us to his office to talk. He attended to other white people who came after us. Finally when we were sitting in his office, for the first 5 minutes or so he was doing other work and we were just sitting and twidling our thumbs. Then he was saying the same thing, that the passport was altered. He can only renew until April 1st 2004 (expiry of EAD card). He got angry and said he is running out of patience and we are not behaving properly. When I tried to explain him, he stopped me and said that I can't talk. Then he asked me to sit back and relax. When I asked him to check the computer for the actual dates and her status and determine her genuinity he got even more angry. Then we left the room confused whether to renew it at regional or mercer county office. We came out of that office with anger, felt disrespected, humiliated, agnonised and you name it...

We were just thinking, look what this f*** GC thing has brought us, lost our self dignity in front of so many people. Personally I feel like after getting the card, I am going to spit on it, stamp it with my foot, toss it in the trash. I don't know what I will do with it.

I want to take some action and teach the DMV guys a lesson. Sorry for the long note and thanks for reading.


You should have called me. At the very least, you should write a letter to DMV protesting this rudenes, CC it to me, your local Congressmen, State representative and to the Governor. Write it up. I will review it. Let us do something about this.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Edison.
 
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The NJ DMV commissioner comes on radio once a month on 101.5 FM. You should call in to the station at that time and let her know of this situation.
 
Can we sue DMV for discrimination

I had same experience with dmv. They caused so much of tension and emotional stress for renewing my DL and again when we applied for my wife's DL.

First of all why should immigrants go to the regional office. Are we not paying the same fee as others. Are we not paying our taxes. Why are we made to go thru all these hassles. I had to take a day off when i went to trenton DMV. Took almost 6 hours.

When other states are issues dls for 5 years why would NJ dmv issue only till the validity of the visa. When they are able to track people and send them notices saying that their DL will expire as soon as their visa expires, for all those pending 485 cases they should issue 5 years and then when 485 is denied they should sent a notice that they are cancelling the dl.


In NJ, immigrants are money making machines. They make all the money treat them like dirt. I hate NJ.

Mr Khanna, do you think we can sue DMV for Discrimination.
 
Sorry to hear about your bad experience...

What "WheresMahGreen" saying is the good procedure to follow.

All Government related offices are like this in all the places.
I also heard that Eatontown, NJ is good place to renew or get new license for immigrants.

I got my license renewed in June 2003 without any problem in a local office in Somerville, NJ.
I had bad experience at the South Plainfield local office when we went there for my wife's license renewal.
In short finally, we were asked to go to Regional center for my wife's renewal in Oct/Nov 2003.

We decided to take non-photo ID for now until we get our I-485 approval (?!) and took non-photo ID through mail valid for another 4 years.
I don't know what all problems we are going to face when we convert non-photo ID to photo ID after our I-485 approval.
 
I guess FOX's Problem Solvers might be of help ? I am not sure. I think each major broadcasting company (ABC, NBC, CBS) must have similar programs. Try to get in contact with them. Forget about renewal, if these guys humiliate, then you have to get them taste their medicine. Dont let these B****** get away with such arrogance.
 
I agree, that NJ is really horrible in this matter, there was a News recently just to cover their as** they have started opening office for special hours on Saturday as everyone was sick of their incompetency, looks like they learned something from their other sibling USCIS.

Bottomline is they treat immigrants as dirt period.

Look at the numbers:

I-485 pending for 29 months NO NEWS
EAD/AP pending since Aug-03 NO NEWS (had I not went to the local office to get IEAD and AP, I would have been totally bankrupt by now as according to the law you cannot work without EAD, well does the same law handles this...)
 
what about Lodi?

any experience at DMV Lodi? what documents do I have to bring in order to change my driver's licence?
 
Originally posted by bunchofquestion
I am planning to contact the local newspaper, send a letter a Jim McGreevey and the top guy at DMV. Beyond that I don't know if there are any non-profit or federal organisations that provide support to non-immigrants and their rights. Those

Send an email to John Cichowski. This guy writes columns about bad DL experiences in NJ in 'The Record' and 'The Herald News' papers under 'Road Warrior' name. His email address is cichowski@northjersey.com.
 
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