Driver license renewal
 

Has anyone had an experience of renewing their drivers license whilst waiting for there visa extension to come through. The last i94 I have shows it expires septemver this year so I can’t take that as not in line with the extension.
i have the petition to show the extension had been put forward but just waiting to get it back.
what have you taken with you to renew your license if you have been in this situation.

Re: Driver license renewal
 

I think you’re out of luck as DMV need an approved petition or I-94. I take you have a UK driving license that you can use as a backup?

Re: Driver license renewal
 

Can you use a foreign driving licence as a backup if you have been a resident in the US?
For example California requires you to get a Californian driving licence within 10 days of arriving. If stopped, after being in California for several years, would the police accept a foreign licence because you could not renew your Cali licence due to a visa extention?
Also what about your insurance?

Re: Driver license renewal
 

Yes, although it would be useful to know your state of residence - each individual state will have their own process for this, although they will be broadly similar.

When you say you "have" the petition, what is it that you actually have in your possession - is it the I-797 receipt notice that USCIS sent you (or your attorney) once the petition was submitted to them?

Here in Texas the I-797 is sufficient to prove lawful presence, as a pending I-129 is sufficient to establish that you continue to be in the country lawfully despite the expired I-94.

The I-129 itself doesn't prove anything, but the I-797 will allow the renewal of a driving license whilst the I-129 is in the process of being adjudicated.

Re: Driver license renewal
 

It's a small technicality, IMHO. E.g. a ton of East Coasters moved to California during the last 18 months, and only a tiny minority swapped their home driving licenses for Californian ones. Same goes for car registration (which I am sure eventually they'll get to).

The foreign license is a temporary solution until the OP receives an approved petition. Driving on a foreign license != driving without a license.

Re: Driver license renewal
 

Technicalities matter greatly to Law Enforcement and District Attorneys though, and they likewise matter a great deal to insurance companies when they consider whether or not your policy is still valid in the event of a claim.

Either way it sounds like an expensive argument to have to make, and a risk that one need not take to begin with.

Re: Driver license renewal
 

Good luck explaining that to an insurance company after you have a wreck :banghead: