catlover3

We're heere! And still embroiled in this. Today its the DMV. We need to take our test within 10 days of residency, but we also need proof of residency! Crazy. There is a list of approved documents, which of course we don't have:

Proof of California Residency

The list below provides the documents acceptable as proof of California residency. Two (2) acceptable documents are required. All residency documents must list the applicant’s first and last name, and the California residence address must match the residence address listed on the driver license application, with the exception of the last three (3) items.

Rental or lease agreement with the signature of the owner/landlord and the tenant/resident.
Deed or title to residential real property.
Mortgage bill.
Home utility bills (including cellular phone).
School documents including any document issued by a public or private primary, or secondary, or post-secondary institution, college, or university that either includes the applicant's date of birth, or if a foreign school document, is sealed by the school and includes a photograph of the applicant at the age the record was issued.
Medical documents.
Employment documents.
Faith based documents that include the name and address of the issuing organization.
Insurance documents, including medical, dental, vision, life, home, rental, and vehicle.
Internal Revenue Service or California Franchise Tax Board tax return.
California Certificate of Title or Registration Card for a vehicle or Certificate of Ownership or Certificate of Number for a vessel.
Change of Address Confirmation by the U.S. Postal Service (Form CNL 107).
Documents issued by a U.S. government agency.
Property tax bill or statement.
Records from a financial institution.
Voter registration confirmation letter or postcard issued by the California Secretary of State or a local California county elections officer.
Proof of payment of resident tuition at a public institution of higher education located in California.
An original copy of an approved Claim For Homeowners’ Property Tax Exemption (BOE-266) form filed with a local California County Assessor.
Court documents that list the applicant as a resident of California.
A letter on letterhead from a homeless shelter, shelter for abused women, nonprofit entity, faith based organization, employer, or government agency within the U.S. attesting that the applicant resides in California.
A parent, legal guardian, or child may use a birth certificate and a spouse or domestic partner may use a marriage license or domestic partner registration certificate to trace his or her relationship to the individual to whom the two acceptable resident documents have been addressed.


... what happens if we take our test AFTER the 10 days?

We also can't enrol in open enrollment (Health insurance) without the SSN and bank account, and can't get the bank account without the SSN....

I will keep pushing and will report back!

petitefrancaise

You can open a bank account without an SSN. This is only required if you want an interest bearing account. It is NOT needed or required for a normal checking account. If you are having problems with this then go to a different bank. Wells Fargo will do it.

Do you have an address you can use? A work address perhaps that you can prove? My local Well's Fargo will use a UK based residence address if this is what you can prove and then you can immediately change it once the account is approved to a local one (work? or a colleague's)
Once you have a bank account opened - this will take 30 minutes and you should walk out with both a temporary debit card and check book.

No idea about your CA driving license. Someone else will come along for that.

Pulaski

1. You CAN get a bank account without a SSN, so long as it isn't an interest bearing account. [B]The USA PATRIOT Act only specifies a "government issued ID number"[b]. Tell the bank employee that, exactly those words (in bold), but if they won't accept it, and you speak to a supervisor who won't accept it either, go to a different bank. Wells Fargo has often been mentioned on BE as a bank that will open accounts for new immigrants without an SSN.

Also not the address you are linked to doesn't have to be in the US, so if you have documentation for a UK/overseas address you should be able to open an account using that. Some people have also had success using a an office/ business address.

2. It is hard to comply with the 10 day rule when you have to complete a road test, but so long as you are using your best endeavors to get a license ASAP, and carry documentation to prove that you are "in the system", awaiting a road test you shouldn't have any problem.

Remember there is nowhere that the date you became resident is documented or easily available, so it is extremely unlikely that you could be ticketed (only) for not having a valid license. In any case, drive extra carefully until you have passed your test.

petitefrancaise

The procedure for doing stuff like this
1Bank account
2House/apartment
3 Cell phone and utilities
4 School ( assuming you've already decided on this, if not go back and put it first)
5. SSN
6Driving License

You can't do much without a bank account, so that is your priority. Then you can pay for a home, once you have your home address and your lease agreement in your hands then you can get a cell phone, then you can get utilities.
You go back to the bank and amend the address to your home one, ask them to print out a statement which has this address on it.

Once you've got your SSN, you can take bank statement and utility bills letters to get your drivers license.

catlover3

Thanks to you all for the responses. Off to Well's Fargo now with proof of UK address. Then Best Buy for the Sim.

I'll report back!

petitefrancaise

My local WF will take a UK address - this I know for sure. However, some BE peeps have come back and told us that their local ones did not. If you can, take a backup of the work address.

catlover3

Thank you! There is no work address, but let's see what they say.

MrGlasgow

I got a 2GB limit, and it's working great from the last 3 weeks.

catlover3

Update: no address required AT ALL at WF. It worked to my advantage but I find it a little shocking (especially in a country that doesn't regularly use PIN and chip and where mailboxes are outside - ID theft must be rife). The lack of a SSN was a sticking point though, but the teller's manager came over and sorted it. Long story short - we now have a bank account. Got the H20 SIM too, $40 for 8GB at Best Buy. Today it's the Social Security office. Should be a breeze!

Pulaski

Congratulations. It's good to hear that WF came through for you, though the lack of demand for proof of address is odd, to say the least .... you might be asked for that at some point when someone notices the omission. When someone notices it is possible that you might find withdrawals blocked until you have provided proof of address, so watch out for that.

catlover3

Thanks - will do. Although as the debit cards are coming through the mail, I doubt that will happen. Very lax security though, I agree.