Green Card Holder, Drivers License says "Temporary Visitor" (Dallas: 2013, lawyers)

[TheViking85]

Hey, some people in the Dallas forum and Immigration forum might already know a little of my story, but I arrived in the US on a K-1 (Fiancé) visa on December 20th, got married (to a US Citizen, by birth I might add) on January 6th and received my Green Card on the 9th of May. Since I immigrated through marriage, I received the 2 year "conditional" Green Card, this is, from my understanding, essentially a way to check if a marriage is real, if I'm still married and can prove that, 1,5 years from now, I'll apply for a 10 year GC and get it, no problem.

Coming from Norway, I had to retake the written and road test to get a TX drivers license, it didn't exactly prove to be a problem, and I sailed through both and got my temporary (letter size) license until my printed one would arrive in the mail.

It arrived today and to my surprise it had "TEMPORARY VISITOR" stamped on it in big red letters, it also has "TEMPORARY VISITOR STATUS EXPIRES 05/09/2013" written on it under the Date of Birth.

I've been looking around a little and I can't figure out 100% whether or not it is correct that my license has this on it, I'm also wondering if it will lead to any troubles in use.

For instance if I were inclined to acquire a firearm (which I legally can, as a Lawful Permanent Resident).

I can also imagine that a potential employer might be less inclined to hire me (which is going to be hard enough in these times), if he/she is led to believe I have to leave the country in two years.

Does anyone have any information on this, and whether or not it's going to be a pain in the backside to have it on the license?

Thank you.

[SVTRay]

I'm not sure about the temp part on your lic but I'm asking a friend who married a foriegn national.

Anyhow, work shouldn't bevan issue..maybe take a copy of your marriage lic. As for firearms, i would probaly start out with an actually FFL gun store vs a Sporting Good store. These people generally know the law and don't try to impose some odd store policy.

Here is a good gun forum if you like to talk guns:
http://www.semiautorifles.com/forums/ (broken link)

I'll add more when i find out about the DL.

[TheViking85]

Originally Posted by SVTRay

I'm not sure about the temp part on your lic but I'm asking a friend who married a foriegn national.

Anyhow, work shouldn't bevan issue..maybe take a copy of your marriage lic. As for firearms, i would probaly start out with an actually FFL gun store vs a Sporting Good store. These people generally know the law and don't try to impose some odd story policy.

Here is a good gun forum if you like to talk guns:
Semi Auto Rifles - Forums (http://www.semiautorifles.com/forums/ - broken link)

I'll add more when i find out about the DL.

Appreciate that, thank you.

[SVTRay]

Originally Posted by TheViking85

Appreciate that, thank you.

Np,

I just heard back from my friend and he said all his wife got was a prmit and then a regular DL a month later.

Anyhow, i believe this is something new in Texas.

Here is some more info:

TxDPS - Lawful Status

[h886]

I've had to give my citizenship status on every job application I've completed, so chances are you will too and worrying about what's stamped on the driver's license is a moot point. And the truth is, it's hard to get a job right now for many people and you chose to come here knowing that. It is what it is.

[Willsson]

"TEMPORARY VISITOR" stamped on it in big red letters, it also has "TEMPORARY VISITOR STATUS EXPIRES 05/09/2013"

Immigration rules are changing all around the U.S. and those rules are going to influence your ability to manage your life in most any public endeavor you pursue. I would think having the stamp on your TDL will be an assist to you. That is, coming from Norway it seems likely that you have an accent, or unusual work or residential history. Any employer, banker or person with fiduciary responsibility would be prompted to exercise caution in processing your paper work.

Having the stamp on your TDL will support your Green Card, or claims of married status and will demonstrate to those persons that the state is aware of your status. It should just make it easier for those responsible persons to accept your status. And an indicator of your likely stability.

Think of it as an assurance that you're not perpetrating a fraud.

Welcome to the U.S. and to Texas.

[TheViking85]

The issue with the marking is that it says "Temporary Visitor", which is wrong, I've read a little more on it, including the guidelines of which it is to be used, and from what I could see, my DL should be marked with the expiration date of my green card, but I didn't understand it to have to be marked with the "Temporary Visitor" marks.

Point is this: I'm not a temporary visitor, I don't need or want people to think I am a temporary visitor. It took well over a year, dozens of pages of paperwork, thousand of dollars (even without getting lawyers involved) and fixing Customs officers mistakes to get here legally, and being a legal permanent resident who's followed the law to the letter, it seems unreasonable to be singled out, in any case, if they were going to put something on it it ought to be "Green Card holder" or "LPR (Lawful Permanent Resident), all the current marking is going to do is cause me to have to flash the green card around at times a drivers license would've sufficed.

[texasdiver]

My wife is from Chile and held a green card from the time we were married until she became a naturalized citizen.

Her Texas DL had no such designation. It looked exactly like mine. But this was a few years back.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by tofurkey

Immigration rules are changing all around the U.S.

I did not know that a friend of mine got married to a US citizen. She got a regular green card when she got married and got her citizenship after 2 yrs with the GC. She didn't have to do that ten years thing.

in fact regular Green card holders (those not by marriage) don't have to wait 10 years they can get naturalized after 5 yrs of residence in the US.

All the green card holders I have met with drivers licenses all had regular licenses. So this new system is all odd. I guess it is a way to control the immigration problem

[h886]

Well, until you pass the 2-year mark (the date on your DL) and demonstrate the marriage is legitimate, my guess is it stays (unless you can find some indication that it was an error on DPS's part.)

Immigrating is a pain in the butt. So's doing anything involving the government, you'll find. But again, you chose to come here and you're here now, which is more than a lot of people can say. Jobs were going to be hard to find whether you had that mark on your DL or not. Welcome to the same boat everyone else is in.