British Expatriate Network

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on your website! I just arrived in California on an immigrant visa at the beginning of April and I've just recieved my first care package of HP sauce!!!

I've been trying to get my California licence at the DMV, lovely people by the way. They won't proceed unless they see my I-94 which should be attached to my passport, it was not attached to my passport when I arrived and I have no copy of it.

If anyone has any advice on how I can get hold of one I will be extremely grateful!!

Darren.

daz, i,m just starting my immigration paperwork and i lost my i94 so i had to send off for a replacement which took 90 days which is the rough estimate the immigration service gave me. It is however a diffrent time ratio depending on which uscis office you apply to mine was $155! evil although people here may know a bit more than me i'm just trying to give a rough idea try immigration on http://www.uscis.gov hope this helps wink

By the way welcome D

Hi Dazmo,

Thanks very much for your swift and helpful reply!!

I found the info I needed and your right they are charging $155 for a replacement. I'm going to be in the city tomorrow anyway and i'll drop into the local office. If anyone else need info and a pdf of the application the link is as follows -

http//uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-102.htm

thanks again

Darren

You don't get an I-94 with an immigrant visa. Instead, you get an I-551 stamp which is what the DMV needs.

Just to echo what Ameriscot said - the I-94 is the Non-immigrant Arrival-Departure card that tourists and other visitor get and then return to immigration on departure.

The I551 is what we refer to as the Green Card (the actual card is issued sometime after arrival) - When I arrived here I had a stamp in my passport not a card - could this be what the DMV actually needs?

Hi thanks for your help, I don't want to spend $155 unless I have to!

I tried to explain to the DMV that I never got a I-94 and showed them the stamp and visa in my passport but the supervisor refuses to proceed unless she sees one!

If anyone else has any advice re obtaining a driving licence in the USA please help!!!!

Darren.

Can you go to a different office where the supervisor knows the rules?

Arm yourself with copies of their own rules and something from the USCIS.

Again echoing Ameriscot - your problem seems not to be that you don't have the right stamp - but that the DMV don't know what they are talking about.

You might have to do some research of boththe CA DMV rules and the UCIS rules online, print them off and take them with you.

My experience is that such ignorance is not uncommon - certainly in MA I had a some strange conversations, including being asked if I was sure I needed a local license - this from the people who supposedly enforce the rules :roll:

The good news is that you don't seem to need to pay $155 and also there are plenty of Expats in CA (including several on this board) who got licenses, so once you get past the idiot you dealt with you should be able to resolve the problem.

Good luck with it guys.

Makes me feel lucky for coming out here and getting most of my paperwork done pre-9-11.