Obtaining my fiancé’s drivers license in California after entering US

[Erika 2018 4]

Hello all. We got approved for the K1 visa and Just wondering if anyone has had experience with getting their fiancé a drivers license valid in the US after arrival. We will get married one month after he arrives in the US but at what point can he get his drivers license? Thank you so much 

[K1visaHopeful 2,662]

1 hour ago, Erika 2018 said:

Hello all. We got approved for the K1 visa and Just wondering if anyone has had experience with getting their fiancé a drivers license valid in the US after arrival. We will get married one month after he arrives in the US but at what point can he get his drivers license? Thank you so much 

Usually you can get a temporary license when you arrive that will expire when your I94 expires on day 90. Sometimes you can get that one renewed.

After that and if you cannot get that one renewed, you have to wait for either your EAD/Combo Card or GC, whichever comes first.

Each state DMV is different so your best bet would be to look on the California DMV website.

[accumbyte 148]

2 hours ago, Erika 2018 said:

We will get married one month after he arrives in the US but at what point can he get his drivers license?

See this thread: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/677220-am-i-allowed-to-take-written-drivers-test-in-ca-with-expired-i-94/

He can try to get a regular driver's license but it will expire when his I-94 expires. The silver lining is that future renewals (when his EAD, 2 year GC, 10 year GC are issued) will be free because the license fee would be valid until his birthday in 2024 because the last 2 digits of the DD (Document Discriminator) code would be "24":

The other option mentioned in the thread above is that he can wait until his I-94 expires to apply for a AB-60 license (he'll state that he doesn't have a US status that the CA DMV requires for a regular license; the CA DMV does not recognize pending AOS as a US status): https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/ab60

Edited February 25, 2019 by accumbyte

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*moved to “moving to the US” where similar questions are asked*~*~*

[usmsbow 795]

7 hours ago, accumbyte said:

See this thread: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/677220-am-i-allowed-to-take-written-drivers-test-in-ca-with-expired-i-94/

He can try to get a regular driver's license but it will expire when his I-94 expires. The silver lining is that future renewals (when his EAD, 2 year GC, 10 year GC are issued) will be free because the license fee would be valid until his birthday in 2024 because the last 2 digits of the DD (Document Discriminator) code would be "24":

 

The other option mentioned in the thread above is that he can wait until his I-94 expires to apply for a AB-60 license (he'll state that he doesn't have a US status that the CA DMV requires for a regular license; the CA DMV does not recognize pending AOS as a US status): https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/ab60

 

Yes, that thread is a good summary of the situation in CA. The AB-60 is the one option pre-EAD/AP card.