Driving with home country's drivers license while in AOS???

[dakobert 6]

Hello Fellows,

I have a concern about my situation at the moment. So, I've been driving with my home country's drivers license in the U.S., and I have applied for AOS. However, I'm in the process of getting my california drivers license, and noticed it said, they recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident. So, what am I now, I'm not really a resident in my home country right now, but neither a permanent resident in California??!! Does it mean, I'm actually not supposed to drive anymore? Even though, it would be just legal if I was here on a semester abroad, or as a tourist?

I really appreciate other's opinions!!!

[Boiler 43,397]

Why are you not resident in California?

I seem to remember California gives you 10 days.

[dakobert 6]

Why are you not resident in California?

I seem to remember California gives you 10 days.

I mean, that doesnt really account for me...We just moved to California, and I had to wait for my employment authorization, because my I-94 has expired a while ago. I'm not sure why I would be considered a resident of California, while I'm not even a permanent resident of the US, however, neither am I of my home country. I believe. I was wondering what happens if police stops me? Does anybody know who I could ask to reassure?

I believe I'm not the only one without state's drivers license, if just recently entered US and started application for AOS. Or do I miss here sth?

[Boiler 43,397]

You can be an illegal in the US and still a resident in California, DMV is State, Immigration is Federal.

[dakobert 6]

You can be an illegal in the US and still a resident in California, DMV is State, Immigration is Federal.

I'm not denying you werent right, but somehow I feel like your answers are not really helping. I do not wanna start a discussion about Californian residency, fact is I had no chance of applying for a drivers license before. I have a home country's license which had been valid every time I was here, my question is rather is it all the sudden illegal for me to drive, whereas like "a month" earlier it wasnt a problem at all??? lol

[Boiler 43,397]

Most maybe all States give visitors a year.

New residents vary as to how long they get in a new State to get a license. Anyway it is all on the DMV website.

So yes.

[dakobert 6]

Most maybe all States give visitors a year.

New residents vary as to how long they get in a new State to get a license. Anyway it is all on the DMV website.

So yes.

Its not really on DMV. The sentence I copied is from DMV, but doesnt really explain the case. And if you ask somebody in the office, they actually dont know anything, except for whats written on their website. Well I'm doubtful everybody applied in their first week for a drivers license. So how do other handle that? Or have they ever experience a situation where they were stopped and held illegal with their home country's DL?

[Boiler 43,397]

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/dl/dl_info#two500

[Pitaya 2,576]

~Moved from the Fam.-based AOS to Moving to the US and Your New Life In America Forum~

~Similar topics are often discussed at this forum~

[Ontarkie 13,904]

There was a guy on here years ago who thought just like you, that he wasn't really a Cali resident. He ended up ticked and the officer told him he needed a California license because he was a resident.

From what I've read on here is that state is pretty picky and they don't have any wiggle room.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

My husband drove on his UK license until he got EAD which allowed a TX license. He was stopped and ticketed for speeding. The state trooper-highway patrol guy did not know immigration and especially the limbo a K1 gets mired in. He knew a new resident to TX had 30 days and it had been more than 30 days since the date my husband said he moved to TX. With a lot of immigration explaining, he removed the failure to have a license charge and gave only the speeding ticket. I wish my husband had said he was visiting. Would have saved thirty minutes of talking and saying yes, we had been to the DMV (twice) and he could not have a license yet. And all the details of what a K1 visa is and how it works.

You may not be so lucky at talking your way out of charges. Yes, some quit driving. Some don't. The laws fit most, but K1s always seem to be that fuzzy gray exception while they await a greencard.

[dakobert 6]

My husband drove on his UK license until he got EAD which allowed a TX license. He was stopped and ticketed for speeding. The state trooper-highway patrol guy did not know immigration and especially the limbo a K1 gets mired in. He knew a new resident to TX had 30 days and it had been more than 30 days since the date my husband said he moved to TX. With a lot of immigration explaining, he removed the failure to have a license charge and gave only the speeding ticket. I wish my husband had said he was visiting. Would have saved thirty minutes of talking and saying yes, we had been to the DMV (twice) and he could not have a license yet. And all the details of what a K1 visa is and how it works.

You may not be so lucky at talking your way out of charges. Yes, some quit driving. Some don't. The laws fit most, but K1s always seem to be that fuzzy gray exception while they await a greencard.

There was a guy on here years ago who thought just like you, that he wasn't really a Cali resident. He ended up ticked and the officer told him he needed a California license because he was a resident.

From what I've read on here is that state is pretty picky and they don't have any wiggle room.

Thank you, these experiences are really helpful. I could imagine that this situation is kinda like being in a void and it depends on how the officer sees it. It's ridiculous though. When I was studying in Cali, I had no problems driving with my DL for half a year, and now it is a problem...lol, but not worth the risk. I guess I just wait until I get my DL. Thank you for your responses.

[Shauneg 762]

Thank you, these experiences are really helpful. I could imagine that this situation is kinda like being in a void and it depends on how the officer sees it. It's ridiculous though. When I was studying in Cali, I had no problems driving with my DL for half a year, and now it is a problem...lol, but not worth the risk. I guess I just wait until I get my DL. Thank you for your responses.

There's a difference between being there and studying and living there. You may not see it, but they do.

[Vanessa + Mario 4]

From what I have read here on VJ, most people wait to drive until they obtain their state license.

My husband didn't drive until he got his EAD.

He was given a temporary license for having a license from another country, until he got his CA license.

[Ortolan 381]

My husband was allowed to drive on his foreign license (in TN) for 30 days, then had to have a state license. Here you get a state license by going to get a driving test, then it's good until your temp visa expires, at which point you go BACK to the DMV and get a permanent license.