Driving in the US after DV arrival

[Dashinka 23,209]

How long can a DV GC holder drive In the US with a foreign DL and IDP?

 

Thanks!

[Alabamak1 688]

7 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

How long can a DV GC holder drive In the US with a foreign DL and IDP?

 

Thanks!

it will depend on the state. some dont allow GC holdersto do it, because residents must have valid DL from thr state

[NikLR 13,220]

Depends on state laws.  In Colorado you become a resident after 90 days and must get a driver's license within 30 days and no longer can use an international driver's license. 

 

Based on your profile, in Michigan it's difficult to tell when they consider you a resident so you may have to email the SOS to get a clear answer. 

 

Being a green card holder, regardless of how it was obtained, means you are on the path to being a new resident in that state and subject to their residency laws. 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

As the others have said, check your state laws. Best to get a DL as soon as you can anyway.  Makes no difference how you got your green card, DV or any other way, the fact of having one and being a resident is what determines it.

 

 

[Dashinka 23,209]

Thanks a bunch.  This is what I see for Michigan.

 

“Residents of a foreign country who are temporarily in the United States may drive in Michigan with their home country license and, if the license is not in English, an English translation of the license or an International Driving Permit.”

 

The issue is that my wife’s cousin and her husband are coming with a DV GC and they will be staying with us for an unspecified amount of time.  He has some leads for jobs in Texas and Oklahoma, so I am not sure where they will end up, so it may be difficult to show Michigan residency to get a DL.  I cannot find anything else at the MI SOS that says how long someone can drive legally with a foreign DL and IDP.  We may try to get a DL once they receive their physical GCs as they will be mailed to our address.

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

1 minute ago, Bill & Katya said:

Thanks a bunch.  This is what I see for Michigan.

 

“Residents of a foreign country who are temporarily in the United States may drive in Michigan with their home country license and, if the license is not in English, an English translation of the license or an International Driving Permit.”

 

The issue is that my wife’s cousin and her husband are coming with a DV GC and they will be staying with us for an unspecified amount of time.  He has some leads for jobs in Texas and Oklahoma, so I am not sure where they will end up, so it may be difficult to show Michigan residency to get a DL.  I cannot find anything else at the MI SOS that says how long someone can drive legally with a foreign DL and IDP.  We may try to get a DL once they receive their physical GCs as they will be mailed to our address.

 

 

Green card holders are not in the US “temporarily”. Not sure about Michigan requirements but here it would be hard to show residency without something like a utility bill, insurance document etc so yes they may have trouble getting a license. If stopped they can just explain that they are temporarily in Michigan white waiting to get work elsewhere. 

[Alabamak1 688]

i would suggest to find someone to take them where needed for the time they wait for their GC and DL. Getting caught w/o a proper DL....and the officer does not really care about immigration, you can weigh in how that might end up. Fines and such. I have lived in different states and some family members have told me about the immigration to areas like NJ/NY, they are strict on residents having their states DL. Tourist are clearly issued Visas in their passports, so easy to differentiate. Just a thought. On the other hand...WA state does have that rule of 90 days to get a state DL for new immigrants.  

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

38 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

 they are strict on residents having their states DL. 

If they can’t  prove residency, and if they are genuinely only there in MI temporarily, then they can’t get DLs as residents.  They won’t be penalized for that.

 

(california has a 10 day rule. It is literally impossible to get a DL in 10 days, there is no dmv in the state that you can get an appointment that quick, never mind the fact that you don’t normally get bills etc to prove residency that quick. Cops can be reasonable people too.)

Edited January 12, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[Alabamak1 688]

all i can say is why take a chance? different states, different officers, different way on interpreting the way the law is written.  

[carmel34 3,529]

If the GC is mailed to an address in Michigan, that should be sufficient evidence to establish residency in order to get a Michigan DL.  Since Michigan law does not specify the length of time before a new resident must get a Michigan DL, you may be able to convince a police officer, if stopped, that you are only there temporarily to avoid a ticket and fine.  I would say it depends on how long they plan to tay in Michigan with you.  A week or two, no problem.  Over a month, it starts to look like residency, but at the end of the day, it is your call on how much risk you are willing to live with.  Also think about insurance issues, liability issues if driving your car.  You may want to add them to your insurance policy to be protected or have them get their own car and insurance.  For that they will need a Michigan DL.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

20 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

all i can say is why take a chance? different states, different officers, different way on interpreting the way the law is written.  

How do you propose they prove residency when they are not able to, not being residents? You can’t get a DL without proof of residence. Michigan requires 2 different forms of residence proof. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/DE40_032001_20459_7.pdf

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

8 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

If the GC is mailed to an address in Michigan, that should be sufficient evidence to establish residency in order to get a Michigan DL.  

Nope, see link above.

[Alabamak1 688]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

Nope, see link above

how do new immigrants get a DL in Michigan?  it cannot be impossible. I was referring to driving with IDP. I wouldn't takes risk with driving with IDP, but that is just me. Alabama is very easy on those IDP, it's a absolute NO. Foreign visitors are exempt. A piece a mail is usually where you start to prove residency....

[carmel34 3,529]

As Susie QQQ posted above, Michigan requires 2 residency documents, the GC would qualify but is only one.  So they will need something else.  Adding them to auto insurance would be the easiest and fastest (usually can change it with the insurance company over the phone, and the insurance card showing their name and address can be downloaded and printed the same day).  Plus if they are going to drive they should be on the insurance anyway.

[Dashinka 23,209]

30 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

how do new immigrants get a DL in Michigan?  it cannot be impossible. I was referring to driving with IDP. I wouldn't takes risk with driving with IDP, but that is just me. Alabama is very easy on those IDP, it's a absolute NO. Foreign visitors are exempt. A piece a mail is usually where you start to prove residency....

Back when my now wife came on her K1, I seem to remember using official mailings from USCIS to prove residency after she got her SSC to get her learners permit.  When our cousins arrive we can try using the postage from their physical GCs as proof of residency as @carmel34 suggested.  The big issue is that we do not know exactly how long they will be with us, so I was wondering if it was worth the hassle if they left after a couple of weeks.  My wife is off next week, maybe she can go down to the MI SoS and ask someone there.