Need Help - DMV FL

[CanadianNugi]

Hi all,

I went today to renew my driver licence at the DMV office. My husband got his renewed for a year however the clerk refused to renew mine longer than the date on my work authorization card, informing me that after expiration of the card I will be illegal and therefore not allowed to have a FL driver licence.

We tried to explain to him that I am not on a working visa in the USA but on an E2 visa and that I dont have any obligation to renew my work authorization card if I so wish. He in returned said that if I dont renew it I wont receive a driver licence.

Help what to do????? how do you get them to understand that my E2 visa has nothing to do with the work authorization card?

I paid $15 licence renewel for a driver licence valid till oct 2007 (my old driver licence was valid till June - so this is $15 dollars for 4 months)!!!! Than what????

:( :eek: :mad:

[britcan]

on the same subject do you need a SSN to get a licence? In Rhode Island it say so but obviously we won't have one. Our Canadian car insurance is valid for max 30 days

[punky]

This is new on me... I thought they generate your license expiry date on the date you are supposed to leave the country (expiry date on your visa), capped at one year.

Doesn't make sense though... People on visa waivers can get a 3 month license, and they don't have work authorisation.

[Sab]

I am a bit confused by this one. In Florida they ask to see your passport and go from there.



Sab

[CanadianNugi]

I just called INS and the officer told me that this is not the first time he heard about this. He said they get confused with the different visas and they are not familiar with the E2 and the seperation between E2 and work authorization. He said I do not need to have a valid Work Authorization in order to obtain a driver licence and that I should be receiving a DL valid for a year. He said the DMV officers needs to be educated...........I just dont understand why is it my job to educate them and in the interim suffer.

Now I have to figure out how to get them to fill up a G845 inquiry so they can get an explanation from INS that my work authorization is not based on a working visa but on an E2 visa and I only need the I94 to be valid.

What a mess!!!


Britcan as a Canadian you can apply for a driver licence it will only be good for the state you are in until you get your SSN and surrender your CDN licence.

With me the situation is different I already am in the USA and I am applying for a driver licence as a legal visa holder with SSN.

[britcan]

We are going on my husbands E2 with me as a accompanying spouse..so do we not have to surrender our CDN licences then? Its such a load of red tape..

[chris]

Welcome to Florida!!!!

[CanadianNugi]

Britcan,

without an SSN you cant receive a permanent driver licence. Use your Canadian passport and Ontario driver licence to get a local driver licence that is only good in the State you are in.

Once you and your husband get the SSN than you can go in with your passport and SSN and apply for a driver licence valid all over the USA. We used our "Valid in florida only" driver licence until it was up for renewal and than went with the SSN and passport to renew and got a driver licence good all over the USA.

But than again who knows the rules up North...............

[InnVic]

IN Vermont you need a SSN and valid I-94. I have found sometimes the local offices don't know how to proceed with "us foreigners". Go to the local DMV website ( google state DMV) and print out the page on foreign licences - this should help them help you :-)

[britcan]

Thanks Inn Vic- so in our case I did Rhode Island DMV and went in under 'out of state transfers',is that correct?

[lorraine]

Hi my hubby has no ss number and has drivers licence. We went and got a years licence in October apparently it changed and you now only get a year then have to renew. All they wanted was our I94 card which is valid for 2 years we have to go back and renew the licence after 1 year new rules so we were told:confused:

[Kitty]

I thought they gave you a drivers license tilll the expiry date of your I 94

[chris]

First of all there is no such thing as a 'good all over US' drivers licence. States issue their own and each has their own requirements and little foibles. A 'National' drivers licence such as issued in the UK does not exist here.

In Florida you need proof of ID. in the case of Non -US citizens that is passport and USCIS immigration documentation (I-94). If your I-94 is in for renewal, they will accept the official USCIS receipt. You do not need a SS# to obtain a FL drivers licence. HOWEVER - if the staff member states you do, then ask them to put that in writing on their letterhead. The SS Administration will issue SS#'s to non-US citizens where they have been asked in writing by a Govt dept that they require a SS#. That way you get a SS#, if you hadn't got one.

The Florida drivers licence legislation was changed by the State in October 2006 and the Florida Statute dictates that non-US citizens are only issued a Florida Drivers licence for ONE year. The normal charges apply, so we pay 10 times what US citizens in Florida pay!

You will get variations on this simply because not all DMV staff are as clued up as they should be. Forearmed is forewarned is the best motto and these days it is probably a good idea to print off information from the DMV website any information that pertains to non-US citizens and take it with you.

If you are having problems with DMV just persevere, ask to see a supervisor if the staff member is not helpful. You have to ensure you know more they do!!
I hear the Carolinas is nice!

[InnVic]

Thanks Inn Vic- so in our case I did Rhode Island DMV and went in under 'out of state transfers',is that correct?

You may have to apply as a NEW driver...we did. Here is link to documents required.
http://www.dmv.ri.gov/licenses/id_reqs.php#residency

[CanadianNugi]

Canadians have an ability to receive Valid only in Florida driver licence, it says that at the back of the licence,it allows you to keep your Canadian Driver licence, if you are a snow bird or in our case it allowed us to take insurance for a car in Florida before we had an SSN . Once we got our I 94 and SSN we went in to apply for a Florida driver licence without that restriction .

How odd the DMV office SUPERVISOR asked me if I had a Social Security Number and they took it than asked me if I had an EAD and took that too along with my passport! :confused:

No one knows what they are doing.

I just spent an hour at the INS office and they told me that even though I am right and I dont need the EAD to apply for driver licence, the DMV made their own rule that without EAD you dont get a driver licence and they apply it across the board because they do not know better. The INS officer adviced me to renew my EAD so I can keep my driver's licence! :mad:

OH yeh some good news, apparently the INS is going to issue EAD's for 2 years not 1 year. The officer said she received a bulletin on that issue. I couldnt find anything...............

Growing white hair on my head much faster than money in my pocket!!!!!!!!!;)

[britcan]

thanks INN Vic

[chris]

CanadainNugi,
Don't happen to know when the EAD change to 2 years will take place. My wife is just about to write a check for $180 for her EAD. I'd like that investment to be for 2 years not 1 year!

[britcan]

Canadians have an ability to receive Valid only in Florida driver licence, it says that at the back of the licence,it allows you to keep your Canadian Driver licence, if you are a snow bird or in our case it allowed us to take insurance for a car in Florida before we had an SSN . Once we got our I 94 and SSN we went in to apply for a Florida driver licence without that restriction .

How odd the DMV office SUPERVISOR asked me if I had a Social Security Number and they took it than asked me if I had an EAD and took that too along with my passport! :confused:

No one knows what they are doing.

I just spent an hour at the INS office and they told me that even though I am right and I dont need the EAD to apply for driver licence, the DMV made their own rule that without EAD you dont get a driver licence and they apply it across the board because they do not know better. The INS officer adviced me to renew my EAD so I can keep my driver's licence! :mad:

OH yeh some good news, apparently the INS is going to issue EAD's for 2 years not 1 year. The officer said she received a bulletin on that issue. I couldnt find anything...............

Growing white hair on my head much faster than money in my pocket!!!!!!!!!;)



Heres the link to an intersting bulletin- on p 3 it says 'up to 2 years'

www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/E_LEmpAuthPub.pdf

[reecey]

ive just checked my EAD and its valid for the same length as my I94 2 years

[CanadianNugi]

Chris,

I need to renew my EAD and holding tight to see when the change takes place. The INS officer told me to apply in July and she hoped by than the 2 years EAD for all will take place. She mentioned something about no reason to issue 1 year if the I94 is good for 2 years.


Britcan,

This bulletin says up to 2 years the INS officer said this is going to change to 2 years for everyone who gets approved for EAD. Which means when you apply you pay $180 every 2 years.

I hope she is right because this is a much better investment!

But than again who knows when this is going to happen.........

[britcan]

You may have to apply as a NEW driver...we did. Here is link to documents required.
http://www.dmv.ri.gov/licenses/id_reqs.php#residency

Hi Inn Vic
I think because we have Canadian Licences the rules are slightly different... our insurance company is going to give us documentation to prove driving experience in Canada, and apparently there is a reciprocal arrangement for USC coming to Canada.We will see. But did you guys have to show EAD? Cannot understand how come Canadian Nugi is having problems unless this just pertains to Florida.

[CanadianNugi]

I am having problems because I am in the land of the illegals!!!!! South Florida DMV offices handles so many illegals that all they remember is the rules for them. They dont see the difference between me having the right to work under the E2 visa and any other person on a working visa in the USA.

You see I could have applied as Canadian to renew my licence but than I will have to keep my Canadian licence.

I am renewing as an E2 visa holder with a residency in Florida which means I have surrendered my Ontario Licence and have a Florida Licence (without the restriction of "valid in Florida Only" at the back of the card).

BTW we never had to prove driving experience in Canada...........each officed has its own rules. Nothing is unified.

[InnVic]

I am having problems because I am in the land of the illegals!!!!! South Florida DMV offices handles so many illegals that all they remember is the rules for them. They dont see the difference between me having the right to work under the E2 visa and any other person on a working visa in the USA.

You see I could have applied as Canadian to renew my licence but than I will have to keep my Canadian licence.

I am renewing as an E2 visa holder with a residency in Florida which means I have surrendered my Ontario Licence and have a Florida Licence (without the restriction of "valid in Florida Only" at the back of the card).

BTW we never had to prove driving experience in Canada...........each officed has its own rules. Nothing is unified.

Hope the below link/info helps...

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/faqkeys.html#NUSC

As always you have to do the work for them:confused: ....I found this link on the Florida DMV website...it states EAD OR I-94 etc..

Maybe print it out and then get the clerk to check their own guidelines - I think you should then be okay :-)