Driving Licence in CA

D

Deep1

Registered Users (C)
MY NJ Driving Licence is expiring next month. I appeared for written test in CA and passed it, I showed them my EAD card for immigration status. DMV says it will take at least 5-6 month to verify my immigration status and issue new driving licence from CA, by that time my EAD will expire. I am confused.

Could anybody please post their exprience
 
I waited approximately 18 months for mine (Nov 2000 - April 2002). They gave me a temporary paper version. It was a COMPLETE pain, but eventually it came through. I wouldn't worry about the validity of the EAD, you'll need to keep renewing it until the GC shows up anyway - and CIS should be on the ball with the info they transmit to the DMV.

Btw, my wife got hers right away with documents that were derivatives off of mine! Tough bananas, I had thought at the time. But then, I *always* get the longest, slowest-moving lines... a bit like a lot of you lot :cool:

Freeviews
wac-0303xxx
no 2nd FP yet
 
Maybe rules have changed. I showed DMV my SSN card to get my first license when I was a student in Midwest.
When I came to CA, I just need to pass the written test and surrender my IN license in exchange of the CA license.
 
Deep1 said:
MY NJ Driving Licence is expiring next month. I appeared for written test in CA and passed it, I showed them my EAD card for immigration status. DMV says it will take at least 5-6 month to verify my immigration status and issue new driving licence from CA, by that time my EAD will expire. I am confused.

Could anybody please post their exprience
Click to expand...
CA does take a little longer in issuing licenses compared to most states ...
But, the validity of the license is not tied down to your immigration status ... I know some states (I think NJ too ?) issue licenses only upto the validity of your H1 or whatever.

CA gives you the usual 5 yrs validity license.

Its a major pain to keep extending that crappy temp license - but with most DMVs having the DMVQ appointment system its better
( Old CA license holders would remember the hugggge lines outside of DMV for non-appt cases ).

If you've moved to CA, you have no choice but to get a CA license - don't have your old state license for >30 days after moving to CA - its illegal and not worth it.

Also a final tip: Don't travel overseas with your CA DL pending - I did that and my I-94 obviously changed -- as my luck would have it, DMV checked my application after my travel (which was 3+ months after applying) -- they had the old I94 information and it did not check out.
They didn't tell me or anything -- how I found it is a separate story !!
My app was quietly put in a blackhole somewhere and I had to haggle the crap out before they moved butt and processed my DL.....so yeah better safe than sorry :D
 
CA DMV is no exception. In the recent past all Govt offices in US started torturing legal immigrants, since they anyway do not have records of illegal immigrants.
If you show your EAD card..., you will get DL upto 5yr..., takes 1-2 months to recieve DL from Sacramento.
If you show your I-94..., then DL you recieve would be valid only upto I-94 validity.
 
peace_of_mind said:
CA DMV is no exception. In the recent past all Govt offices in US started torturing legal immigrants, since they anyway do not have records of illegal immigrants.
If you show your EAD card..., you will get DL upto 5yr..., takes 1-2 months to recieve DL from Sacramento.
If you show your I-94..., then DL you recieve would be valid only upto I-94 validity.
Click to expand...
peace_of_mind
Since when has CA DMV started limiting licenses to I-94 validity ?

When I got it in 1999-2000, I got it for 4 or 5 yrs and I renewed by mail for another 5 yrs.

Is this a recent thing ?
 
I moved to CA from KS in Dec 2002. First I got my DL..., showed my EAD..., recieved in 3 month..., for 5 yrs...
My wife by mistake, she showed her passport and I-94..., she got into trouble..., her I-94 validity was Feb-2004.. only..., she did not recieve DL in 3 months.... We had to call DMV Sacramento office.., the person was good, she asked my wife that whether her H4 and I-94 was extended... so that she could give DL for a longer time, luckily my wife had a glow in her mind..., she gave them the A# and faxed the copy of EAD to immigration verification department part of DMV..., got her DL upto next 5 yrs...

Also, since each day... something new is being added..., old timers would not know the problems encountered by new-comers...
I am sure..., one day I will become an old-timer and ingnore the problems faced by the new-comers and younger generation... which I do not want to be...
 
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on more thought about DLs

once you get your license you will never have any problems renewing it unless you let it expire or too many tickets.

even then it's not like they will check on your immigration status.

another thing to remember is no speeding and no dui's.

dui's are considered felonys and that can get you removed from the country.

in CA speeding over 100 mph is automatically considered a felony as well.

GC holders can expect to have to wait at least 3 more years to become eligible to apply for citizenship.

my brother-in-law found this out the hard way :D

he sponsored his wife as a GC holder. His wife became citizen about a year ago and he is now finally submitting the N-400 and is awaiting the interview.
 
Stunned and Furious

Hi all,

That really sucks to hear that Cal Driving Licenses are getting so bad. When I got mine, back in 1991, I didn't even need an SSN!

I am very disappointed to here your sagas. Unfortunately, I'm leaving California and so I think it would be odd of me to write to the Governator. But, I don't know whether anyone saw his speech last night at the Republican National Convention. He kept going on about how immigrants like him are so well cared for by the US. It seems to me that now is the perfect time to ask him why then he's treating immigrants so badly. Licensing is a state issue ...

good luck,

becky
 
I got my CA DL in 1994, shortly after the DMW became the front line for immigration enforcement. I showed them my passport and visa stamp. My wife was on a spouse's visa (not authorized for employment) and she was rudely grilled by the idiot behind the counter about how she was going to support herself. I wrote a complaint to the then director of the CA DMW and got a call and an apology letter. Apparently this wasn't the first time that employee had offended DMV customers.

Since then, we have received CA DLs every five years. I think they were all renewed by mail. There is no indication on them about our status (although we are now LPRs) and we have not been asked for any further immigration document since the first one was issued.
 
becky,
No DL without SSN... started in 1999 in MD..., quickly propogated into IL and all continental US...., since then spouses on H4 do not get DL...
I think DMV has to follow Fed regulations...,
 
peace_of_mind said:
becky,
No DL without SSN... started in 1999 in MD..., quickly propogated into IL and all continental US...., since then spouses on H4 do not get DL...
I think DMV has to follow Fed regulations...,
Click to expand...

The same happened with my wife when we moved to CA. However, you could get a temporary SSN just for DMV purposes. I think you have to ask DMV to issue a letter which you could take to the SS office and have a temp SSN issued to you.

Hope this helps.
 
I have to renew temp Lic

I suppose I have to keep renewing my temp Lic untill they verify my immigration status.
 
Strange that they are putting forth a prop. to give licenses to illegal immigrants and give legal immigrants a hard time! :)

In my case when I moved to CA 5 years ago, I wasn't given any kind of runaround. Smooth as a whistle, I surrendered my OH license, showed my passport with its F1 stamp, and walked out with a 4 year valid license. Earlier this year I received the option to renew by mail and took it for an additional 5 years.

I would suggest you try with an unexpired H1 if EAD is proving to be such a problem. It might be that much easier.

I did catch the governator's speach at the RNC, and it made me sick, but what really got my goat was yesterday's introductory speach by the Bush twins, who not only seemed as dumb as their dad, but with the same speach impediment. What was with one of them? She looked like her father with a wig on. :)
 
Its much better to go with Ca DL then NJ on EAD. You will get your DL in 3 months . I got mine on H1 in early 2000 for 4 yrs then i just renewed by mail . I was't send renewal i used the mail form before 60 days of expiry with any immigration docs and it came renewed for nxt 5 yrs. similarly my wife NJ DL was expiring and she passed Ca written with EAD as a proof ant her DL in 2 months. So go for Ca DL if you plan on staying and renew the temp via phone every 3 months as they send via mail the new temp DL with extended validity for 3 months till u get the actual one.
 
Most probably you will be approved before the end of 6 months, Since you already did your 2nd FP. Try sending a fax enquiry to INS for your case since JIT is way past your date. If it gets approved soon, you can try again at DMV with your PP stamp/approval notive.
 
my story

My licence has expired and H4 has gone for renewal since Jan 2004. DMV will not renew my license because I am on pending visa status nor do I have ssn (We came in 1999 Jan and they stopped giving ssn 1999). I am waiting desperatly for ead so that I can get ssn and go for license. We have one car and two kids. Can't buy another car because we don't have a gc and my husband's H1 is till Jan 2005.

The only think that this country gave me was the driving license and they took that away too !

Jajabhor
 
140_takes_4ever said:
but what really got my goat was yesterday's introductory speach by the Bush twins, who not only seemed as dumb as their dad, but with the same speach impediment. What was with one of them? She looked like her father with a wig on. :)
Click to expand...

Don't be surprised if you see them running for political offices 25-30 years down the road and talking about American sacrifice. :mad:
 
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peace_of_mind said:
becky,
No DL without SSN... started in 1999 in MD..., quickly propogated into IL and all continental US...., since then spouses on H4 do not get DL...
I think DMV has to follow Fed regulations...,
Click to expand...

I think California required some type of SSN beginning 1992. I recall thinking that I just got mine before that requirement was made. In IL I had to have a SSN to get my license, even though I turned in my CA license, they still needed to see the number.

DMV may have to follow some federal regulations (like highway speeds), but DMV's are state government institutions, which is why there's a lot of difference between how the states in terms of what groups and what requirements they impose on giving out licenses. I think for our purposes it's the state's decisions that are much more significant than the federal government's because it's what the states decide to do about issuing licenses to legal immigrants (based on their policies typically about what to do about illegal immigrants driving) that seem to be where we're experiencing all the problems.

becky
 
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