Getting an I-551 stamp to renew driver's license!

[lmatos1978 14]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share my experience about my green card that is about to expire (04/09/15), I live in Kansas CIty Missouri and my driver's license will also expire on 04/09/15, I've found out that they will not renew it without a valid green card, so I made an infopass appointment a motnh ago (at the time I didn't know when my interview for citizenship would be) and the I.O. told me that I needed to come back closer to the expiration date and he stated that maybe my interview would happen before 04/09, so couple weeks ago I found out that my interview is scheduled for 04/21, so I made another appointment with infopass for today and the lady that helped me said they don't like to give the I-551 when the GC is still valid but since is just about to expire she stamped my passport and gave me a "YEAR" but she had to cut my GC (only cut 2 small pieces of the edges) and that I need to have my passport with me at all times which I said no problem.

One more thing, she was having a hard time getting the stamp to look right so it is quite hard to tell the date, she said if the DMV has a hard time seeing the date and won't renew my DL, she told me to come back with 2 passport like photos and she would make me a temporary ID!!! I was surprised by that as I thought they would only stamp a valid passport, so as you all can imagine I feel relieved that I won't have an issue getting my DL renewed,

Before all this I've researched a lot and read a lot of mixed answers, so I was stressing out a lot so hopefully with sharing my experience I can help someone in the similar situation!

Have a great day everyone!

[Pinkrlion 2,607]

I live in MO, they did not give you a 7 year drivers license? You can renew your license 30 days before it expires, and your GC is still current at that time, you should receive a 7 year license.

[lmatos1978 14]

I live in MO, they did not give you a 7 year drivers license? You can renew your license 30 days before it expires, and your GC is still current at that time, you should receive a 7 year license.

For GC holders if the expiration date is less than 7 years they will make your DL expire on the same date as your GC. My GC expires on 04/09 so when I got my DL from MO in 2010 they put the expiration date for 04/09 as well, I just realized that this year so I was worried but now that I have the I-551 stamp I'm good

"Applicants must present one or more documents in each of the following categories. Additional documents may be required.

NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, PLACE OF BIRTH (Non-U.S. Citizen)

• Non-U.S. citizens must present appropriate immigration documents indicating current status and should examine the complete listing of acceptable documents for proof of name, date of birth, and place of birth.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (ALL Applicants)

• Provide your Social Security Number (verbally, or by presenting your Social Security card); or
• If a Social Security Number has not been assigned, the applicant must present a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding the status of the applicant's Social Security Number."

http://dor.mo.gov/drivers/idrequirements.php

[bbutterfly 12]

I live in MO, they did not give you a 7 year drivers license? You can renew your license 30 days before it expires, and your GC is still current at that time, you should receive a 7 year license.

For GC holders if the expiration date is less than 7 years they will make your DL expire on the same date as your GC. My GC expires on 04/09 so when I got my DL from MO in 2010 they put the expiration date for 04/09 as well, I just realized that this year so I was worried but now that I have the I-551 stamp I'm good

"Applicants must present one or more documents in each of the following categories. Additional documents may be required.

NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, PLACE OF BIRTH (Non-U.S. Citizen)

• Non-U.S. citizens must present appropriate immigration documents indicating current status and should examine the complete listing of acceptable documents for proof of name, date of birth, and place of birth.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (ALL Applicants)

• Provide your Social Security Number (verbally, or by presenting your Social Security card); or
• If a Social Security Number has not been assigned, the applicant must present a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding the status of the applicant's Social Security Number."

http://dor.mo.gov/drivers/idrequirements.php

Imatos is right, I had to renew my DL when I got my 2 years GC and they renewed it for 2 years. When I obtained my 10 years, they renewed my DL for the max amount of time ( 7 years)

Only I don't get is that their website shows 6 years as the max amount of time!

Imatos, glad you got that out of the way. I was facing a similar situation when I was waiting for my AOS, too stressful!

Best wishes for the rest of the journey!

Your Missouri driver’s license expires on your birthday and is valid for:

• 3 years if you’re 18 to 20 years old.
• 6 years if you’re 21 to 69 years old.
• 3 years if you’re 70 years old or older.
• The length of your legal presence if you are not a U.S. citizen

[Kintsukuroi 6]

Just to note in case people living in other states come across this thread and start to worry, not all states have this same rule. My driver's license expired in Nov 2014 and my GC was due to expire in May 2015. I was still issued the full 6 year driver's license valid until 2020 in Texas.

I'm not sure that MO (or some of the offices) is enforcing their rule properly with regard to LPRs if they are issuing driver's licenses only until the expiration date of the green card. LPR status does not expire when the green card expires so "legal presence" would still be current. It even says, "Expiration dates do not indicate the expiration of legal permanent resident status" on the link posted above so you should have been able to show the expiring/expired green card and still been issued a full length MO driver's license because unlike other immigrants statuses that have to be renewed LPR status does not.

[lmatos1978 14]

Just to note in case people living in other states come across this thread and start to worry, not all states have this same rule. My driver's license expired in Nov 2014 and my GC was due to expire in May 2015. I was still issued the full 6 year driver's license valid until 2020 in Texas.

I'm not sure that MO (or some of the offices) is enforcing their rule properly with regard to LPRs if they are issuing driver's licenses only until the expiration date of the green card. LPR status does not expire when the green card expires so "legal presence" would still be current. It even says, "Expiration dates do not indicate the expiration of legal permanent resident status" on the link posted above so you should have been able to show the expiring/expired green card and still been issued a full length MO driver's license because unlike other immigrants statuses that have to be renewed LPR status does not.

you are right, every State is a little different, not sure why MO does this since Permant Residents does not have an expiration in their status!

So today I went in to renew my DL, thought they would just give me a year since that is what is on my passport, to my surprise they renew it for the full 7 years! I'm glad I got that taken cared of, now I just need to focus for my interview this coming 04/21!

[danyhart 0]

Hi, I'm going through the same thing here. Did you have to have a VALID passport to be able to obtain the stamp? My passport is expired and do is my drivers license. I had my interview on 4/27/15 and passed on 5/13/15. I still do not have a date for my ceremony. I need my DL! LOL

[lmatos1978 14]

Hi, I'm going through the same thing here. Did you have to have a VALID passport to be able to obtain the stamp? My passport is expired and do is my drivers license. I had my interview on 4/27/15 and passed on 5/13/15. I still do not have a date for my ceremony. I need my DL! LOL

Well I don't think they will put a stamp on an expired passport but when I got my stamp the agent that was assisting me said that if I bring 2 passport type photos she could make a temp ID card so I wouldn't have to walk around with my passport every where. Just make sure you bring the documentation that you are going through the citizenship process because they will only give you the stamp if you can prove that you are in the process to renew your GC or going through naturalization process.