Driver's License renewals - - - does it ever end? (merged threads)

[oceanborn 33]

When I was in Texas, I got a full 6-year driving license (in 2014) with my 2 year conditional green card.

[Leo7777 243]

~Similar-same themed topics merged~

~Continue on-going thread~

Pitaya

VJ Moderation

Pitaya, is there anything I can do to get you to stop doing this???

These topics are dissimilar enough that two threads are necessary.

Likely now there will be very little response to my question regarding getting extensions based on the one year extension letter.

This is about the third time you have done this to threads of mine.

Do you have problems with me that you feel the need to keep doing this?

[Boiler 43,549]

Pitaya, is there anything I can do to get you to stop doing this???

No

[oceanborn 33]

What is interesting is that there doesn't even seem to be consistency in process within individual states.

For example: while living in the DFW metroplex, I was good friends with another 2-yr GC holder who happened to work in the same building I did. We applied for our licenses at roughly the same time (early 2014). In fact, we went merely days apart to the local office to apply for the license and take the driving test (behind the wheel test).

We both passed, I received a fully fledged driver's license valid for the full 6 years. He only received a driver's license valid until the expiration date of his 2-yr GC.

No clue!

[SM & EF 41]

@Leo7777

You're right that DMV employees might simply deny because they are not familiar with immigration processes. We experienced that while getting my husband's license at the start of his AOS, but we successfully overcame this reaction by showing them their own internal document that showed it was legal for them to issue the license. You might be able to do the same in your situation depending on your state. Here's how we did it...

We live in Florida and it has what's called an Acceptable Document Table. On the title page the document is described as being "...designed to provide driver license examiners/agents with documents required to PROVE LEGAL PRESENCE....".

At the start of the AOS process, our lawyer gave us a copy of the table and highlighted the relevant section for our situation. Our lawyer said being in the AOS process shouldn't be an issue since that was clearly legal, but they might not want to give the DL because same-sex marriage wasn't legal in Florida at the time. Ironically they didn't have a problem with our marriage, but they wanted to deny a license based on his pending immigration status.

I'm sure they don't see this situation every day, so we weren't surprised they didn't know about the state's guidelines. Luckily we had a copy of their internal document in hand and that helped us overcome their initial denial (combined with a little bit of polite pushiness).

Now even though we were able to do this during AOS, that doesn't mean it would work during ROC. To find out, I downloaded the newest version of Florida's Acceptable Document Table online and checked for ROC. Here is the note regarding people in the ROC process. "The I-751 can be submitted even after the conditional resident card has expired."

I was happy to see the same table not only addressed ROC but also talked about the fact that an expired green card is not reason to deny a license, as long as it is accompanied by the extension letter. Here's hoping your state has a similar document and that the rules are the same as Florida.

Good luck!

[Mena28 35]

You need a SSN and proof that you are a Massachusetts resident and proof of your immigration status. I'm not sure how it works with a K1. I used my Green card as proof when I applied. You have to pass the written test to get your permit then take the road test. Good luck.

thank you for your reply - I have a SSN from before, but the other two are a bit trickier. I have dealt with the DMV before and made similar experiences like mentioned here - no consistency and not all the people who work there are familiar with how immigration and getting a licence works... oh well, fun times :-)

[scotinmass 588]

thank you for your reply - I have a SSN from before, but the other two are a bit trickier. I have dealt with the DMV before and made similar experiences like mentioned here - no consistency and not all the people who work there are familiar with how immigration and getting a licence works... oh well, fun times :-)

I was asked for my I-94 when I applied for my permit. I said I didn't have an I-94 I had a green card. The woman said they needed an I-94. I told her a green card was better proof than an I-94. She asked the woman at the next desk if a green card was ok and she said yes of course it is. So like you said not everyone knows the rules.

There is no grace period in Massachusetts. You have to have a MA license from the day you become a resident. Although it took me a year to get round to getting mine. I just hoped the police didn't know the rules!

[Jughead 3]

I understand that when ROC documents submitted, a one year extension letter regarding the 2 year Green Card is issued by USCIS.

My question is: How many here have successfully gotten an extension of an expiring DL based on this one year extension?

My guess is that DMV people will likely go into lock-down mode when they look at the letter, because they have no idea what it is all about.

I know it varies by state, and will even vary between DMV offices within the same state . . . but still, what have your experiences been?

We live in NJ and got my wife's DL renewed last week with the extension letter. Surprisingly, everyone at the DMV office we went to was familiar with the extension letter and it didn't confuse anyone.

There was one thing that confused us though...

My wife's Green Card expired in Oct. 2015. So the extension letter makes the card good until Oct. 2016. My wife's DL was going to expire in Jan. 2016. When we got the new DL, they only made it good until July 10, 2016. We thought the new DL should be good at least until Oct. 2016, based on the one-year extension of the Green Card. We asked them about this and they said they go by one year from the receipt date printed on the extension letter, which was July 10, 2015 in our case. I asked them if that is correct because the letter extends the Green Card for one year from its expiration. They said they go by the extension letter's receipt date since that is the most current date they see...

So that had us confused, and I'm still not sure if that is correct. Did anyone else experience this?

Edited November 28, 2015 by Jughead

[Leo7777 243]

Jughead, I would say the NJ DMV office you went to is just plain wrong.

Seems your wife could be without a DL from July to October.

[NikLR 13,220]

the DMV office isn't wrong. The letter extends the LPR status from the receipt date on the letter, not from the expiration of the green card, as far as I understand it.

[Leo7777 243]

Someone please post a picture of their extension letter (with their name removed), then we can discuss the interpretation of the wording.

[scotinmass 588]

The extension letter extends your green card for 1 year so it is from the date the green card expires.

[NikLR 13,220]

If we can argue about it, so can the DMV. I cannot find my letter since I don't need it atm.

[NickD 202]

Wisconsin would only give my wife a three year temporary license when she could prove she was a resident. We got her an EDA card and another six months went by before she received her conditional permanent resident card, this is sure a contradiction in words. Two and half years flew by and all she had was an expired, green card, that stupid one year extension notice, plus the six months of her EDA card, her temporary licesne expired.

Went into our DMV, and I quote, "what in the hell is a one year extension notice?: Refused to issue her a renewed license, got steaming angry and contacted our governors office, also she was required to have a driver's license for her job, without it, would have been fired.

Because Bush brought up our long term undocumented persons as they call them as an issue, namely to get our minds off Iraq, our state set up and immigration department staffed with people that knew nothing about immigration. Made a law where employers were responsible for checking the credentals of all their employees for residency and could be fined $16,300.00 for employing an illegal, forgive me for being politically incorrect. This was another problem for us also as their legal department didn't know anything about immigration either. And what is a one year extension notice, but a bit more intelligent on this subject than our state govenment. This took me several weeks of explaining how our great USCIS operates.

At first the head of our DMV, a women only wanted to extend her license to the expiration date of her one year extension notiice. I wouldn't settle for this, then she agree for the full eight years, said thank you and informed our local DMV office to do this.

Seven months went by, we applied at the earliest date for her US citizenship, first thing my wife did is to show here employer her citizen certificate, that finally closed her file. Then I took her certificate to our local DMV office, was told by the agent, I don't even want to see this, just have her check she is a US citizen on the box. Ironically, our clerk of court didn't want to see it either when she registered to vote.

Just three weeks ago, eight years went by, she had to go into our local DMV office again to renew her drivers license. But was a note from them she had to prove her US citizenship. Just on a hunch, I put her US passport in my shirt pocket and pulled that out. So hopefully now, that case is closed.

Ha, just the other day saw Obama in the news, in so many words, he said, you states have no say on immigration, only I have that power, you tell this to your state.

Can also bring in our property tax assessor and our state IRS into this subject, they don't give a good darn about your residency status, just as long as you are paying your taxes.

Never realized how screwed up a country I was told to give up my life for, for our freedom.

Also during our long journey, when I was dating my wife, she was checked that she always returned to her home country before her I-94 expired, was warned by my attorney if she overstayed, even by one day, she could be deported. But I gather this only occurs if you apply for residency, sure doesn't apply to those other 11 million people that overstayed their I-94's! Again, what a screwed up country we live in.

[Jughead 3]

the DMV office isn't wrong. The letter extends the LPR status from the receipt date on the letter, not from the expiration of the green card, as far as I understand it.

That's interesting. Others here on VJ have said the opposite. I guess at the very least it is from the extension letter's receipt date.