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Hey there, fellow 'England to California' here!
 
The above advice is spot on - you as the driver are the centre of the road, just keep those yellow lines to your left - that's how I stopped my brain from flipping back into UK thinking when I first started driving over here. I had a close call with the brain-flip thing in my first few weeks...it was about 2am with completely empty roads so without other cars clearly showing the flow of traffic I flipped right back to England-mode and went to hug the curb on a left turn out of a one way street, almost headed right into the oncoming lane before I realised what I was doing! After that experience I just took an extra few seconds at every junction to double and triple check exactly where I'd be turning. Within a couple of months driving over here was the most normal thing in the world and I'm sure I'd find it strange driving back in the UK now, especially as I've become so used to turning right on a red light! 
 
In regards to stop sign rules, multiple lanes, turning at lights etc. just read that good old California Drivers Handbook cover to cover a few times. Taking the written test at the DMV lodges all that stuff firmly in your head and then you can get out with your learners permit and put it all into practise until you feel ready to take your behind the wheel test. Believe me, after having taken the hour long grind that is the UK driving test, you should find the California behind the wheel test an absolute pleasure! 
 
My biggest piece of advice though is regarding the process in California - apply right away and double check everything with Sacramento as well as your DMV. I got so much contradictory advice and as an IR1 waiting on my Green Card I got stuck in the secondary review process for over four months whilst Sacramento verified my residency status.  
 
Good luck with it and most of all enjoy driving again! Even without the roundabouts  

Hey there, fellow 'England to California' here!
 
The above advice is spot on - you as the driver are the centre of the road, just keep those yellow lines to your left - that's how I stopped my brain from flipping back into UK thinking when I first started driving over here. I had a close call with the brain-flip thing in my first few weeks...it was about 2am with completely empty roads so without other cars clearly showing the flow of traffic I flipped right back to England-mode and went to hug the curb on a left turn out of a one way street, almost headed right into the oncoming lane before I realised what I was doing! After that experience I just took an extra few seconds at every junction to double and triple check exactly where I'd be turning. Within a couple of months driving over here was the most normal thing in the world and I'm sure I'd find it strange driving back in the UK now, especially as I've become so used to turning right on a red light! 
 
In regards to stop sign rules, multiple lanes, turning at lights etc. just read that good old California Drivers Handbook cover to cover a few times. Taking the written test at the DMV lodges all that stuff firmly in your head and then you can get out with your learners permit and put it all into practise until you feel ready to take your behind the wheel test. Believe me, after having taken the hour long grind that is the UK driving test, you should find the California behind the wheel test an absolute pleasure! 
 
My biggest piece of advice though is regarding the process in California - apply right away and double check everything with Sacramento as well as your DMV. I got so much contradictory advice and as an IR1 waiting on my Green Card I got stuck in the secondary review process for over four months whilst Sacramento verified my residency status.  
 
Good luck with it and most of all enjoy driving again! Even without the roundabouts  

Yep, we waited and booked our flights on the day I picked up my Visa from the courier. I know it can be tempting to book sooner with all the excitement but best to wait in case of some unforeseen delay. 

Okay, so this was far more complicated than I had expected! All in all from my first appointment at the DMV 5 days after arriving in the US, it took a full 5 months to get my California Driver License (and that is with passing both the written and behind the wheel tests first time).  
 
I got lots of mixed information along the way but for what it's worth here is a quick summary of my experience -
 
First off, here is a basic timeline:
11/16/16 - Arrive in San Francisco
11/21/16 - First Appointment at DMV. Went in with temporary Green Card, British Passport, British Driver License, proof of address - told I also need Social Security Number to complete the application. The Social Security office was was next door to the DMV so I immediately applied for and received SS number.
12/07/16 - Pass written test, eyesight test and have photograph taken at DMV. Entered into the 'Secondary Review Process' to confirm my identity as a Permanent Resident.
02/17/17 - Appointment with DMV Investigating Agent at DMV Satellite Office to verify my identity as a Permanent Resident.
04/12/17 - Telephone call with DMV Investigations Division clearing me to continue with my application. I immediately book the behind the wheel test with my local DMV for the next day.
04/13/17 - Receive learners permit. Pass behind the wheel test. Receive temporary driver license.
04/21/17 - Received Photocard Driver License in the mail.
 
So, here is the only relevant information available from the DMV online: 
- If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid. 
- If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner's property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
 
This really doesn't seem to make any sense as it was impossible to get a California driver license within 10 days. Were these 10 days a grace period to drive on my British license? I immediately made an appointment with my local DMV on arriving in California in case this meant 'apply for' within 10 days.
 
My appointment was 5 days later and I presented my temporary Green Card, British Passport, British Driver License and proof of address but was told I also needed a Social Security Number to complete the application.  The Social Security Office was just next door so that was nice and easy. Now I asked the staff at the local DMV what this whole '10 day' business was but no one really knew what it meant. They eventually told me that since I had applied for a California license I could drive on my British license until I had passed my California tests. I called the DMV head office when I got home to confirm this and they also said I was fine to drive on my British license until I received my California license.
 
So my next appointment with the local office comes around a couple of weeks later...plenty of time to study the California Driver Handbook and get some practise driving on the other side of the road! I did the eyesight test reading from an eye chart behind the counter, had my photograph taken and passed the written test (touchscreen multiple choice taken in a little booth). It was then I was given a slip of paper stating I was now in the 'Secondary Review Process' and as I was an immigrant the Investigation Divisions would now have to confirm my identity. This was where the waiting began. 
 
I called Sacramento and they told me there was a backlog and they would get to me as soon as possible. They wouldn't be specific but after a bit of a chat with the very friendly lady on the other end of the phone, she opened up and told me they aim for 30 days but it would more likely be several months. My jaw hit the floor and I just double checked with her that I was still good on my British license in the meantime. She said no. My jaw fell open again. After I explained that the DMV had told me both on the phone and in person I was good on my British license she admitted she didn't really know and that I should probably go with what they told me as she just worked in the Investigations Division. Now with me wanting to be the model Permanent Resident with the full intention of applying for citizenship as soon as I'm eligible I immediately called the regular DMV line again to re-check. They again told me that I was fine on my British license. I asked for confirmation in writing and they gave me an email address to contact. So, I emailed the DMV asking for written confirmation and they indeed confirmed...
 
'If you are in secondary review, you would not have been issued any kind of license from us and you will need to continue to use your UK license.' 
 
I wouldn't count on my 2016 / 2017 experiences though - if you find yourself in the same situation I'd advise calling up and checking for yourself at the time as I've no idea how often they change this stuff. 
 
After waiting the initial 30 day period I called the DMV every week to check on my secondary review status. After two and a half months I got an appointment to meet with an investigating agent at a satellite office about an hour and a half drive away. We met up for about 15 minutes whilst he looked at my documents with a loupe and took photocopies. With that he said I was good to go and he'd call through to verify I was ready to continue my application in a couple of weeks. Just over three weeks later I got the all clear and booked myself in with the local DMV the very next day. At that appointment they issued me with a learner permit and I took the behind the wheel test ten minutes later. The test lasted about 20 minutes and after passing they issued me with a temporary paper license at the window straight after. My photocard license arrived in the mail 8 days later.
 
All in all a bit of an unexpected saga! Yes the secondary review process was painfully slow and it wasn't ideal taking a three hour round trip to meet with an investigator just to show the same documents I'd already shown the local office, but the DMV staff were always great with me and other than the waiting times and unclear information online the whole thing was a relatively painless process.
 
Hopefully someone finds this useful!