We couldn't get my wife's driver's license today because her I-94 had expired by two days (we waited too long to get her SSN). So now I understand we need to bring her green card, EAD, or a new I-94 for her to get her Georgia driver's license.

I just wanted to let others know I was told that she can use her foreign license until she gets her green card and that all we needed to do is make sure she carries documents with her showing she has a case pending (for her AOS?) What a pain this is though. I don't know who to believe. One person at the DMV told me she could drive for a year on a foreign license. Then one cop told me a month only. Then today I called the state number for The DMV and was told she can drive on it until she gets her green card....however long that takes. Then I just read on the dmv website for Georgia that a foreigner doesn't need a Georgia license unless they become a resident. When it comes to immigration and government I see so many shades of grey.

Anyways .....everyone make sure you get your SSN and driver's license before your I-94 (stamp in passport) expires:)

This is a state by state issue, some need green-card or 1 year EAD and SSN before issuing a driver's license line NY, and CA. My wife needs to wait for either 1 year EAD or Green-Card here in NY.

Note that when they talk about becoming a Georgia resident, that is different from being a US legal resident. State residency is not the same thing as being a "Legal Resident Alien", although they can be linked in some states. In some states, simply the action of moving there makes you a resident. I was considered a California resident for example for many years, despite the fact in the eyes of the Federal Government I was a "non-resident alien".

Not sure where in Georgia YOU went, but my husband went in before his I-94 expiry and he had his SSN in hand. This particular DMV we went to refused to let him have a license beyond the date of his I-94 expiry. We were told his license was good as long as his I-94 and at the time he only had three weeks left before it expired. Soooo....we wound up having to wait for his EAD. You got lucky I guess.

It is possible to drive with a license from another country until you get a US license. I seriously doubt that you will get punished for that. The only problem one may have is with the insurance companies - not all of them will insure a driver without a US license. Or they'll charge you an arm and a leg.

You can't make any assumptions about being able to drive on an out-of-country license. Each state treats them differently. What applies in your state might get someone in another state arrested.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...we need a pinned thread where out-of-country license information is posted for all fifty states plus DC.

I'll take 25 states if someone wants to take some of the others.

Excellent idea! I'm afraid, only being here a short while I'd screw something up in trying to obtain information on driving on an out-of-county license but I could try. If no one else volunteers, I'll try my best to help. Let me know.

Carla

I'm willing to actually make phone calls and write e-mails if necessary. There seems to be a massive amount of confusion on this issue and several other state-related issues. I'd suggest making a forum for each state, but that just seems like overkill. Maybe there could be regional forums, or perhaps devoted forums for the top 5-10 states for VJers, then a misc forum.

Sounds like a great idea, and much needed too

Hopefully I should have my 25 states within a few days. I'll start on them tomorrow; I barely have anything to do at work these days. Next week is my last week at that job and things have really wound down.