CA driver license delayed due to legal presence check pending

Heads up for those dealing with this situation. have the following handy when you call them
  • Expired DL ( Will verify Name, Addr, DOB)
  • Legal presence doc - I94 ( Number, Dates, Name)
  • Passport copy ( In few cases)
Additionally , Please ask them their Name ( very IMP) , also FAX# please ensure you address it to that individual whom you had a conversation with and kindly confirm that the FAX will be addressed to him/her.
REMEMBER - All this needs to be done skilfully before they cut you off or they hang up on you. If you succeed , it will be listed as one of the biggest ACHIEVEMENTS of your LIFE.

Best of Luck......There is HOPE
 
Few replies that I have heard from these douchebags were

' CA is a place where people like you come over for Job opportunities and therefore there are many such pending cases with Legal presence'

If you give a background that you had called last week to someone that you get hold of today ' Sir if you had spoken to someone last week, why are you talking to me'

To the point where you call and said I was asked by DMV to call this number response is ' I dont want to know what DMV said' 'Do what I say'

On asking could you kindly let me know the reason why is this held up
' Sir it is with Federal....you need to wait for approval , we cant jump the gun for you'

If you ask How long does it normally take for the DL to be processed post faxing copies as requested
' I am not the one to predict anything on that ...you just have to wait if you need your DL'
 
When your license card takes too long to arrive and DMV has no idea but only tells you to call Legal Presence...

Well, Legal Presence usually don't answer your call, so don't waste your time and rather write a mail to this adress:

Licensing Operations Divisions
Legal Presence Verification nit.
Building West MS G204
Sacramento, CA 95818

My license card didn't arrive for over 2 years! I went to the DMV to get a temporary license (the paper copy) numerous times as it expires shortly.
But after writing to the above address with proper information and request, I received the card in a couple weeks.
 
I found this thread as I am among the few people that was unfortunately enough to encounter this situation. It's been 4 months, I went to the DMV and they told me they couldn't verify my legal presence, and it would take another 5 months just to process my legal presence verification. I already waited for 4 months and have to wait another 5 months?! They told me they are still working on applications since January. How will I know they are even actually working on my documents? Why is it so inefficient? Who can we complain these to?

I tried calling the numbers and went to DMV for the second time. I get the same response that they cannot help me and I got turned away flat and rudely. I tried extremely hard to be polite about it and asked for help but they are completely atrocious about it. They just flat out tell you to wait but can't give you an actual time frame how long it will take and where to track down the process.

I seriously wonder who are these jokers they hire at these offices. They all need to be fired and get someone who know how to do their job right to be on it. I come from a less developed country and even that I have never seen this much problem for foreigners to obtain a driver license.

I don't even know why they can't even issue a temporary driver's license at all. I have actual legal documents and an EAD card to prove my status in the USA...

@expimm, What do you write in your mail? I'm appalled your license took 2 years to get. That's just crazy!
 
I'm still in the middle of trying to get my DL renewal issue solved. I had to call up the legal presence to inquire again. The first time they told me to wait. The second time they told me I had a different case on my documents and thus need to call a different number.
I called the number today and was told they need to order my documents which would take another 4-6 weeks for it to go through. I'm not sure how long this is going to take to resolve... :( I will keep this thread posted when I get my case solved so others can take reference on how long it takes for the DMVs to resolve my case.
 
Attention please do not go to the DMV with your temporary resident seal on passport because this is what is going to happen to any one that do that i will advise you guys is this do the writing test with the temporary seal on passport and then when you go to the driving test give them the ten year resident card and you will get your driver licence in tree weeks without problems.
 
Hi
I came to USA with at 2013 in NY with Residency permit. I went to DMV at NY and got the 5 years driving licence with my own country passport with conditional GREEN CARD.Then I moved down to LA and pass the driving test. They had canceled my 5 Years valid NY license and issued me a 1 year CA license. My Green had the 2 year expiration date on it as it was conditional. Last year October 15 my license has expired and I have sent my all documents to Head Office of DMV. Waited no response then went to the local DMV office with all original proof of documents (I-797, Lic, Social etc). They took everything from me and again kept waiting for another 6 weeks.Then went to DMV local office one at Coles avenue LA and they did the same thing. They keep issuing me paper license only valid for nearly 2 months. Now after 3 months call used the number (916)-657-7445, as I wasnt getting through with (916) 657-7790. After waiting 1 hr some one pick up my and said u need to fax all yr legal documents (mentioned send once already by post at DMV head office and two times physically at local DMV). I did fax and again i have to call
after 7 days to check my status has changed or not. So, 3 moths passed no license yet.

When you call in this number you will feel like calling some where out of USA and not supportive at all. I do not have any idea who is working over there and what
kind of procedure they follow. They assume something own their own and kept holding things not even read all documents. They do not even reply you back unless
you call and search for them.
 
I just found this topic. I waited 2 months but my DL didn't come so I called the DMV and the operator directed me to the so called "legal presence unit". After trying to call the 7790 for over 10 times and waited for almost 1hr in the last few calls. Someone finally picked up the phone. What the lady told me is that they cannot verify my legal presence with USCIS or Homeland security... She resubmitted and it shows pending. I called a few days later but cannot get through the number at all... My temporary DL will expire in 2 weeks and looks like it will be a long battle.... good luck
 
Called this number 916-657-7445, the officer was able to verify status and all the documents they had and confirmed i should get the card in couple of weeks.
 
Hi
I tried to take my written test for a license in August 2015 and was told my documents need to be checked. It's been 7 months and I am still waiting. Yet, when I called at the beginning of January, I was told 2 weeks, now they are saying 2-3 months more.

I am originally from the UK and now live in Los Angeles with a green card. And I cannot drive at all, as I don't have a Californian driving license and I am not able to drive using my UK license. I am completely stuck living in LA without being able to drive. Every time I call the DMV office in Sacramento, they push the wait time back, yet they say that they verify documents in the order that they arrive. This cannot be true, otherwise my wait time would not jump from 2 weeks to 3 months.

Can anyone advise me if there is anything at all that I can do?

Catherine
 
I am in the same boat, having issue to renew my driver license. I guess you are in the SAVE verification process, then get the case number
and check the save case status on line.
uscis.gov save save-case-check, email them. SAVE.HELP @ uscis.dhs.gov, although no response for me.

I have been talking with USCIS, SAVE, CBP, DMV since last month, frustrated.
 
This is crazy! It takes few minutes for the Immigration officer to type my data in and get the results, why is it taking such long for DMV? And then when you call the number it simply says: "Sorry, we have exceeding many number of calls right now, please try again...{hangup}"
 
I recently had experienced the same issue with my CA ID after not receiving for two months. Went to the DMV and the issue was that my legal presence was pending approval. The number (916)657- 7554 was the number they gave me to call, but sadly that is not the number to check the status of your legal presence. The number (916) 657-7790 is the number to call, it might take a while before they put you on hold or even a representative to talk to you but keep trying. If you put the option for a call back they will call back within 10-30 mins.
 
Does anyone have any recent experience? Seems the situation is the same. my DL renewal has been stuck since Feb 2016 from Fremont, CA DMBV. Is there a recent phone number to call for checking the legal presence and Fax number for sending the documents?

Any work around to expedite the legal presense check?
 
Anirban Gupta said:
Does anyone have any recent experience? Seems the situation is the same. my DL renewal has been stuck since Feb 2016 from Fremont, CA DMBV. Is there a recent phone number to call for checking the legal presence and Fax number for sending the documents?

Any work around to expedite the legal presense check?
Click to expand...

I applied in August 2015 and my case was only passed over from the main Sacremento office to my local office in LA 1 month ago. They are now telling me it should be 2 weeks. So my file was sat in Sacremento for 11 months with no progress. I would anticipate a long wait, between 9-12 months.
Every time I called the Sacremento number they would give me a different wait time, but it's all lies, because they don't dare to tell you that the real wait time could be up to a year. Now I have a case number and can talk directly to the LA office, they have confirmed how bad and disorganized things are in Sacreme to.

It's a disgrace. But I didn't find any way around it, even after consulting with a lawyer.
 
Hello I am under an L2 visa, received my temporary license 02/02/2016 and I have been waiting to receive my license for 10 months now! I have been to the office in Santa Clarita 3 times and they say it is pending at the legal presence office in Sacramento, have called myself sick and I am currently waiting for someone to answer after 50 something phone calls. I have an extension on the temporary until the end of January and then I don't know what will happen. I have an international driver license which is valid but I don't know if it will be enough in case of an accident. I am from Mexico and trust me that things are easier down there even when I have complained myself sick of the burocracy they have over there, nothing prepare me for this, is crazy! Getting worried
 
Hi

My wife applied for CA driver license for extention but its been almost 10 months, We called 916-657-7445, however it is to hard to connect.

How should we do?

Thanks
 
Here is our recent experience.

When my wife first passed the behind-the-wheel test we asked for a license based on the AB60 program for an undocumented alien and got one rather easily, though the DMV personnel went through quite a few machinations on their computers for about 15-20 minutes to get it done. Once she got her green card we went in to convert it to a license without “Federal Limits” or a normal license. BTW, an AB60 license is good for 5 years.


My wife passed her behind-the-wheel test in mid-August 2016 and after we went in to convert her AB60 license we waited and waited, but saw nothing in the mail. I finally found this forum and with the phone numbers and other advice we called the legal presence unit at this number on Nov 18:

916-657-7445

This number lead to a voice mail system. One time we called and were told they were too busy and to call back, but all the other times we got into their system and were put on hold. Each time we were told we could press 1 and they would save our place in line and call us back. We did this and each time they called us back. One time it was a 50 minute hold and the last time about a 15 minute or less hold. My point is they seem to have cleaned up their act in that you can get through to them fairly easily if you have patience.

The first time we talked to a Steve and he asked for the same thing everyone else here has mentioned...a faxed copy of her green card or other legal presence document and her Social Security Card. He also asked that we write her phone number, driver’s license number and ATTN: Steve on the faxed page.

The fax number Steve gave us was 916-657-6419 and it worked just fine using a free internet fax service.

We called back a couple days later and were lucky Steve answered again. We asked if he had received the fax and he had. We proceeded to wait for over a month and a half and still no driver's license.

We called again on January 9, 2017 and this time we reached a Nomie who sat with my wife on the phone for about 20 minute while it sounded like she discussed my wife’s situation with a co-worker. At first she said the license or application was sent for some correction, but she never said where or what for. Finally she came back on with my wife and told her she had issued the license and we should get it in 7-10 days. We got it on January 21, 2017.

Have patience and persistence. Don't sit around waiting forever or it seems nothing will happen according to many stories on this forum and our own experience.

BTW, the expiration date was on her birthday in 2020. This is much longer than we were lead to believe by the local office. They said it would expire when her 2-year green card expired in 2018. With the expiration of her license set in 2020 it means we won't have a period where she is unlicensed while going for her 10-year green card. This is a big relief knowing we won't have to deal with this again for almost 4 years and by then she will have the 10-year GC.

I’m also curious to see if giving the address for the legal presence unit to our neighbor, who is going through the same process with his wife, will work without having to call. Just send them the documents we know from this forum they want and see what happens. I’ll repeat the address given in a previous post on this forum.

Licensing Operations Divisions
Legal Presence Verification Unit.
Building West MS G204
Sacramento, CA 95818

 
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