California drivers permit? License?

[mogiftney 144]

Hello! I have a question about my K1 fiancée obtaining a drivers license in California. Does she need a permit first? She has never driven, never had a drivers license or permit in her home country. What documents are needed for her to obtain a California state drivers license? Do we need to marry and file for AOS first? Thanks!

[Ontarkie 13,915]

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from General Immigration- as the topic is often discussed here.~~

[mogiftney 144]

2 hours ago, Ontarkie said:

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from General Immigration- as the topic is often discussed here.~~

Thank you, I was having trouble placing which forum to post this in

[cosmonauts 125]

Documents are listed here:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/dl_info

 

It addresses your permit question at the bottom of the section "How to apply for a driver license if you are over 18"

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,078]

to get a regular CA license (as opposed to the AB60 license that illegals can get), your fiancee will need to have EAD or a GC and to have an SSN.

To get a RealID-compliant license, permit, or state ID she'll need a proof of identity and two proofs of residence (it's useful to not break the social security card out of the paper it comes with, because that's a valid proof of residence).

 

If she got a social security card in her maiden name (as we generally advise here, because you can get it that way during the initial K-1 period), and her EAD or GC is in her married name, she'll need to get the name updated on her social security card.

 

The process for a new driver in CA is you fill out the paperwork for applying for a license, take the "written" test (normally on a computer these days), and then you're able to schedule a road test. For adults, there's no minimum amount of driving instruction required; in theory you could take the road test the same day as the written.

 

In much of CA there's a large backlog for appointments at the DMV (so you end up having to just go there and wait, though a lot of offices are open Saturday and/or extended hours a few days a week now), and for road test appointments.

 

My wife just got her learner's permit (she didn't drive in Russia) last weekend, so we've got the temporary paper and the driver's license-like card should show up in the mail in a few weeks.

[mogiftney 144]

14 hours ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

to get a regular CA license (as opposed to the AB60 license that illegals can get), your fiancee will need to have EAD or a GC and to have an SSN.

To get a RealID-compliant license, permit, or state ID she'll need a proof of identity and two proofs of residence (it's useful to not break the social security card out of the paper it comes with, because that's a valid proof of residence).

 

If she got a social security card in her maiden name (as we generally advise here, because you can get it that way during the initial K-1 period), and her EAD or GC is in her married name, she'll need to get the name updated on her social security card.

 

The process for a new driver in CA is you fill out the paperwork for applying for a license, take the "written" test (normally on a computer these days), and then you're able to schedule a road test. For adults, there's no minimum amount of driving instruction required; in theory you could take the road test the same day as the written.

 

In much of CA there's a large backlog for appointments at the DMV (so you end up having to just go there and wait, though a lot of offices are open Saturday and/or extended hours a few days a week now), and for road test appointments.

 

My wife just got her learner's permit (she didn't drive in Russia) last weekend, so we've got the temporary paper and the driver's license-like card should show up in the mail in a few weeks.

That’s interesting. Thank you! So, if I understand this correctly, she’s going to need to get her permit first, I know she can’t have the license until EAD, but could she have a permit before EAD so she can be learning to drive and just take the license test real quick when she gets the right to work?

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,078]

5 hours ago, mogiftney said:

That’s interesting. Thank you! So, if I understand this correctly, she’s going to need to get her permit first, I know she can’t have the license until EAD, but could she have a permit before EAD so she can be learning to drive and just take the license test real quick when she gets the right to work?

Nope. The only thing you don't need to have to get a permit that you do to take a road test is proof of insurance.