Eric S.

What country was it that didn't schedule his driving test for over a year???
Yeah, we think USCIS is bad....

By the way, there is no such thing as an international driver's license.
Most countries (including the US) will let visitors from other countries
drive there using the drivers license from their home country. There is an
agreement between countries that allows it (similar to the VWP, but includes
a lot more countries). In fact, I have rented a car and driven in several
other countries just using my US license.

There is, however, something called an International Driving Permit. It
does not confer any driving privileges but is a translation into ten major
languages of the relevant information contained on the driver's home country
license. It is not required to have one.

- Eric S.

"MarDae" <member15547@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > In
    > Pennsylvania you can drive for a year on an international license.
    > Unfortunately Anthony doesn't have one He applied in Feb 2003 for
    > his drivers test and it was scheduled for 2 days ago. Needless to say
    > he missed it! It makes me thankful that at least our DMV isn't that
    > slow...and we think that immigration is slow...they only had to provide
    > him with a drivers test and it took over a year. He'll be starting from
    > scratch with his PA license. The funny this is that he'll probably end
    > up getting an American issued internation license so he can drive in
    > Ireland when he goes to visit!! Thanks for the info though
    > MarDae
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Eric S.

How odd that you have to show proof of insurance to get a driver's license.
What if you don't own a car???

- Eric S.


"SecretGarden" <member4024@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > MarDae,
    > I think most states will allow someone to drive for
    > 90 days on their foreign license. Mr. Pink is currently doing most of
    > the driving while I'm in the car, as practice for his driver's test. In
    > Illinois we need the SSN first and he must take a written test and show
    > proof of auto insurance. It is up to the discretion of the DMV staff
    > that particular day whether or not he also has to take a road test.
    > It
    > was a chicken and egg situation with the insurance company, as they
    > initially refused to add him on to my car insurance without an Illinois
    > license. I explained that he couldn't get a license without proof of
    > auto insurance, and after several calls downstate to district office big
    > wigs, they added him on. *Sigh*. It's always something. Right now
    > he's eagerly studying his Rules of the Road book and preparing for the
    > road test by driving me around as much as he can!
    > ~SG
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

rmnading

As someone who lives in Louisiana and who'll be going through all of this
within the next year.... I'll be very curious to hear the outcome!


"lpdiver" <member15505@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > The answer is that there are two documents that are allowable as proof
    > of legal presence in the USA. One is an I-94 and the other is an EAD.
    > Both you don't HAVE to have both. Like I said I am going to educate them
    > Tomorrow.
    > Originally posted by DCMark
    > Why do they think
    > you NEED an EAD. Not everyone chooses to work and working is not a
    > prerequisite for driving!
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

SecretGarden

Hi Eric,
Dunno. The state of Illinois requires that you show proof that you are insured by an auto insurance company before they will issue you an Illinois driver's license. It doesn't say anything about the insurance being on your OWN car, just that you must be an insured driver.

~SG

Waterpony

Hi Tony,

I hope you'll be able to educate them...Do you have a receipt for EAD filing? I had a somewhat similar problem when applying for may daughter's DL...her green card never arrived, passport expired, EAD expired. She had her military dependent ID, college ID, but as mentioned no GC...and after some 'negotiation' they accepted I-90 receipt (filing for the replacement GC) and AOS approval letter...however I did not leave DMV until I spoke to the supervisor. This was all in New Orleans.

Best of luck!

la guy

mu wife obtained her la driving licence with no probs. the counter ladies were all very nice and polite. all she had to show them to apply for the driving tests - road rules and signs and driving - were showing them her international passport, her home country's driving licence and her social security card.

she took the tests via their computer on two separate days. then took the driving test on another day. certified having passed the road driving test, had a photo taken and got the licence within half an hour.

easy peasy. pretty smooth process.

i dont think there's any point in arguing over what docs they need. if you have it, just show it to them. after all, delaying getting your driving licence is at your own expense, not theirs.

IMHO,

Eric S.

Hi SG,

Sorry to nitpick, but I don't believe it. Insurance companies don't insure
drivers. They insure cars. They calculate the rate based on the people who
normally drive the car. That's why you need to "add" someone to your car
insurance when you get married. I'll bet that the state of Illinois
requires proof of insurance to register a car. Maybe you were thinking of
that?

I actually went to the Illinois DMV site to check. This is what is said for
how to get a drivers's license. It mentions nothing about insurance.


To receive an Illinois driver's license or ID card, you must provide
acceptable identification to prove name, date of birth, Illinois residency,
Social Security Number and your signature for comparison.

To obtain an Illinois driver's license, you must successfully complete a
vision screening, written examination and possibly a driving examination,
and pay the appropriate fee. An Illinois driver's license is valid for four
years. An Illinois ID card is valid for five years.


So not sure why you had all those problems with your insurance company.

- Eric S.


"SecretGarden" <member4024@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi Eric,
    > Dunno. The state of Illinois requires that you show proof that
    > you are insured by an auto insurance company before they will issue you
    > an Illinois driver's license. It doesn't say anything about the
    > insurance being on your OWN car, just that you must be an insured
    > driver.
    > ~SG
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

lpdiver

Then you must show proof that that car is insured.

lpdiver

I don't have an EAD for my wife, It is not required that she have an EAD. The problem is that they don't know the difference between OR and AND. EAD is acceptable or I-94...Not BOTH. I don't wish for my wife to wait four more months needlessly. EAD isn't required to be here legally. It is however accepted as proof that you are here legally. As is the I-94.

Hypertweeky

Hey Eric!!
How is the Spaniard adjusting to the US life style?
As for the driving license,Same things applies in Colorado, but my driving license is good for 10 years though

Leslie

Maybe it depends on if you have full coverage or not. I have full coverage so anybody that drives my car is automatically covered. Basically an underage drunk alien could steal my car and smash it into another car and the damages would be covered. My rates might go up because of the claim, but it would still be covered.

MarDae

It was in Ireland. There is something they refer to as an international driver's license that you have to go to the AA (not what you're thinking, it's like our AAA) and fill out a form and show them your current license and they issue you this internation driver's license you can use to drive in the US.

MarDae

SecretGarden

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Eric S.
That's why you need to "add" someone to your car
insurance when you get married.
- Eric S.
[QUOTE]

Hi again Eric.....not to worry, I didn't take your question as nitpicking at all! But what you say above is my point exactly. I think that you are certainly correct in saying that insurance companies insure vehicles and not people, but if I don't have the type of auto insurance for my vehicle that "allows" someone other than me to drive it and be covered, then this would be a problem, and in essence, it is the "driver" who is insured, not simply the vehicle.

I went back and looked at the Illinois site again just awhile ago and noticed something-----the chart that shows acceptable identification to obtain a driver's license (new or renewed) in Illinois has changed. A person has to show at least one item from each of the columns. Well, it has *four* columns now and when I had checked originally back in January, there were *five*. The last column simply indicated, for everyone, "Proof of auto insurance". I know that I printed that page off and have it at home, so I will look for it later, mainly to prove to myself that I'm not hallucinating!

The other thing on which to ponder, is that if they make Mr. Pink take a road test (up to the discretion of the officer at the time) he will be driving my vehicle, and there is no way that they are going to let him get into the car and drive it without proving that he is "on the policy" or "added" as a insured driver on my vehicle. Illinois requires auto insurance to register the plates, and to protect against "uninsured motorist" claims. So, I would conclude that he would have to provide proof of insurance to take the road test to obtain the license. Not to mention that it WAS in that chart back in January as a category all on its own.

*Sigh*
~SecretGarden
(questioning her own sanity now......probably not for the last time in this process.............)

HunterGreen

How very frustrating, LP! Good luck with them. I'm looking forward to reading if they wised up or not!

Elaine

Eric S.

Right. What you're talking about is the International Driving Permit. You
get it from auto clubs, etc. As I said before, it is just a translation of
your license. It is not necessarily required in order to drive in the U.S.
But it may be more recognizable than the regular license from a foreign
country. So it's probably a good idea to have it if you're going to be
driving a lot in the U.S. -- like spouse and future spouses of us US
citizens that are moving here. My fiance has a driver's license from Spain,
but we chose to get her the international permit before she came over, just
in case.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Joe Policeman in some small town in
Iowa can't be expected to recognize all the driver's licenses from every
country in the drivers pact (there are over 100). Much less understand all
the different possible languages. So the International Driving Permit is an
internationally agreed on way to prove you have a valid driver's license.

- Eric S.


"MarDae" <member15547@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > It was in Ireland. There is something
    > they refer to as an international driver's license that you have to go
    > to the AA (not what you're thinking, it's like our AAA) and fill out a
    > form and show them your current license and they issue you this
    > internation driver's license you can use to drive in the US.
    > MarDae
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com