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DV 2015 Oceania winners

Aucklander said:
Yeah luckily I had the tickets blocked and not booked. The inconvenience is more around the fact that I am struggling to get time off and these dates would have been ideal for me to go over and get SSN sorted . Mainly to apply for jobs before the big move
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Crappy luck.
 
EmilyW said:
Yep, just a two week short trip to activate, get the SSN sorted, open bank accounts, attend a few preliminary job interviews. And a baseball game at Fenway Park! Oh, and a day at Dollywood which is legit one of my favourite places on earth.

Then it's back home to sell up, let the kids finish out the school year and make the permanent move in January. I wanna hang with @SusieQQQ and @Britsimon.

Living the dream, @Lisa D!
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Very good plan you will love USA.
I doubt that you will make it ton the west coast in two weeks!
I had the same itinerary and intentions but:
Guys simply literally robbed off packets meant to be tea meant for our super trio!
check if your driving licence is directly transferable or you will be a sitting duck for a few days etc = a few time consuming hurdles.
FYI you will love some of the schools in the west coast.
Welcome
 
usken go said:
check if your driving licence is directly transferable or you will be a sitting duck for a few days etc = a few time consuming hurdles.
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Usken, this sentence is confusing - you can use your original country license until you get a local one. States differ on how long you have till you need to get a local license. But you certainly are not immobile - we both rented and then bought (and insured) cars on our foreign licenses.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Usken, this sentence is confusing - you can use your original country license until you get a local one. States differ on how long you have till you need to get a local license. But you certainly are not immobile - we both rented and then bought (and insured) cars on our foreign licenses.
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Hi Susie.
I am not sure that you can use a Kenyan DL in Maryland. I have even gone to an MVA centre in person and the advice was that I do the out of country transfer. I am a true sitting duck but I have made good progress.
The website is silent on use of my foreign licence too. Unless I can be sure,the risk is not worth it especially when it's keep right for a guy who came from a keep left country.
Sorry about your tea.... I will for sure been the west coast in Aug with it.
May be Aussie licences can be used, Emily and others ought to research further on that.
 
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usken go said:
Hi Susie.
I am not sure that you can use a Kenyan DL in Maryland. I have even gone to an MVA centre in person and the advice was that I do the out of country transfer. I am a true sitting duck but I have made good progress.
The website is silent on use of my foreign licence too. Unless I can be sure,the risk is not worth it especially when it's keep right for a guy who came from a keep left country.
Sorry about your tea.... I will for sure been the west coast in Aug with it.
May be Aussie licences can be used, Emily and others ought to research further on that.
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How do you think people with foreign licenses rent cars while they are here on holiday or business?! Of course you can!

Test it this way: go get a cheap rental. If you are not allowed to drive you won't be insured and they won't let you rent it. Then, use this cheap rental (and their insurance!!) to practice driving on the right, so that you pass your test first time...
 
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We are renting a car now with our Australian licences so it doesn't seem to be a problem.

But driving on the right hurts my head.
 
SusieQQQ said:
How do you think people with foreign licenses rent cars while they are here on holiday or business?! Of course you can!

Test it this way: go get a cheap rental. If you are not allowed to drive you won't be insured and they won't let you rent it. Then, use this cheap rental (and their insurance!!) to practice driving on the right, so that you pass your test first time...
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Not in MD! Cops around here are known to issue must appear citations when you try that even though the law allows it for sixty days.( you can confirm that online) They take it that you will have your day in court to prove your residency status and 'a proper driving licence'

There is a niiice car out here in the summer sun but I dare not. I am practicing a little in the streets around the neighbourhood.

I can wait till I am proper.
 
EmilyW said:
We drove through Maryland yesterday in our rental car with Aussie licences without issue.
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It's not a must that you get a cop stop, what are the chances of that happening when you drive through for just a day? even residents don't just get stopped.
On lighter one, I was at Columbia, in driving school taking the mandatory safe and sober driving test, then went to downtown (avatar) silver spring movie theatre. Saw me ?
Beef is when you get stopped.
 
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Ok, so your original point about driving licences and being a sitting duck is only perhaps relevant in MD. As I said, we were able to rent a car with our licences with no issue.
 
usken go said:
Not in MD! Cops around here are known to issue must appear citations when you try that even though the law allows it for sixty days.( you can confirm that online) They take it that you will have your day in court to prove your residency status and 'a proper driving licence'

There is a niiice car out here in the summer sun but I dare not. I am practicing a little in the streets around the neighbourhood.

I can wait till I am proper.
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Sounds a bit urban legend to me especially re what you are asked to prove in court (it's backwards). If the law says 60 days then it's sixty days.
In California it's actually 10 days, but it's near impossible to get both tests booked and done within that time. We drove on our foreign licenses for a couple of months before getting CA licenses. No problem. But you must do what makes you comfortable. However I will point out that if you are not doing a lot of driving, especially in the part of town where the DMV is, you are more likely to fail. You should at the very least have done a written test and now have a temporary permit to drive?

I bet the rental company will let you rent a car, because it's legal.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Sounds a bit urban legend to me especially re what you are asked to prove in court (it's backwards). If the law says 60 days then it's sixty days.
In California it's actually 10 days, but it's near impossible to get both tests booked and done within that time. We drove on our foreign licenses for a couple of months before getting CA licenses. No problem. But you must do what makes you comfortable. However I will point out that if you are not doing a lot of driving, especially in the part of town where the DMV is, you are more likely to fail. You should at the very least have done a written test and now have a temporary permit to drive?

I bet the rental company will let you rent a car, because it's legal.
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Susie, I do not know why you opt to call this urban legend.
I had coffee with a cop originally from kenya, he says not all cops here want you to be smart with them whether you are right or wrong,to not press your point except in court.
Kenyan licence on the road? wait a while.
the out of country transfer does not go through a learning permit [url="http://www.mva.gov

I am staring at a nice Infiniti QX50 that can't help me till sure its OK to ride it.
I am not behind my schedule though I am 'immobile', get it right once and for all.
 
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usken go said:
Susie, I do not know why you opt to call this urban legend.
I had coffee with a cop originally from kenya, he says not all cops here want you to be smart with them whether you are right or wrong,to not press your point except in court.
Kenyan licence on the road? wait a while.
the out of country transfer does not go through a learning permit www.mva.gov
I am staring at a nice Infinity that can't help me till sure its OK to ride it.
I am not behind my schedule though I am 'immobile', get it right once and for all.
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I've just double confirmed with my friends and they are adamant that they could drive on their SA licenses for 60 days and only had to have MD licenses by then. Of course, you must do what you are comfortable with, but in general the information for new residents - in all states - is not that you can't do anything till you get a local license, but that you need to find out what your state-specific requirements for the amount of time you are allowed to drive on an out of country license is, as well as the specific requirements for conversion. For most states it is just a written and behind the wheel test, for some people it's easier as some states will convert a handful of country licenses directly, and for others it is slightly more complex as some require specific courses be taken before you can do the tests.
 
usken go said:
the out of country transfer does not go through a learning permit www.mva.gov
.
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We didn't have a learning permit either. What we got was a provisional driver license after our written test.
This is not the same as a learners permit because it does not require a licensed driver in the car with you. It is a temporary permit allowing you to drive on your own until you get a proper CA license.
Have you taken your written test yet?
 
SusieQQQ said:
We didn't have a learning permit either. What we got was a provisional driver license after our written test.
This is not the same as a learners permit because it does not require a licensed driver in the car with you. It is a temporary permit allowing you to drive on your own until you get a proper CA license.
Have you taken your written test yet?
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Not yet.
here you begin with:
1. SSN - got a waiting note on Monday and using it.
2. Take a 3 hour online course then A mandatory safe and sober test which you write in domre designated stations at a cost $40 you could to that immefiately after SSN - did that yesterday
3. Study a fairly detailed MVA - manual doing that.
FYI- MD' flunking rate is above 50% .
 
SusieQQQ said:
I've just double confirmed with my friends and they are adamant that they could drive on their SA licenses for 60 days and only had to have MD licenses by then. Of course, you must do what you are comfortable with, but in general the information for new residents - in all states - is not that you can't do anything till you get a local license, but that you need to find out what your state-specific requirements for the amount of time you are allowed to drive on an out of country license is, as well as the specific requirements for conversion. For most states it is just a written and behind the wheel test, for some people it's easier as some states will convert a handful of country licenses directly, and for others it is slightly more complex as some require specific courses be taken before you can do the tests.
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Yes . Be sure to cross check your state specific requirements and do not mess up that party before it even begins. Here guys follow the law/s and cops are respectful and in turn, well respected. Simple
 
Britsimon said:
Just follow the other cars....
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I was so worried about this as I think you know, haha, but I actually found it so easy. Although to be fair I think the east bay is probably one of the best places to learn to drive on the 'wrong' side, with its wide roads, considerate drivers and huge amount of protected left turns. Wouldn't like to do it in some other places I've been!!!
 
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