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I am immigrating to California from the UK within less than a week, on a DV-lottery based visa or greencard.
I have questions regarding the SSN and driving licence.
SSN: In the visa application i had to tick that "i need an ssn".
Does this mean that I will not have to go to the SSN office to request one?
In previous years this might have been different than now in 2012. Previously I think people had to go to the nearest SSN office, and they had to wait 10 days after the arrival (POE) to let the immigration paperwork to reach the SSN administration.
Can I get a job and start working before I receive the ssn card?
Can I get/buy private health insurance before getting the SSN?
Driving licence:
They say I must "get" a local driving licence within 10 days of becoming a resident. But, to register for it at DMV, I mut have the SSN, but I will not receive the SSN card for a while after arrival. The california drivers handbook gives examples to what is considered to "becoming a california resident", but none of them really applies to me as a dv lottery new immigrant. I owuld use my UK driving licence initially.
So, it looks like the SSN processing and the DMV's "10 day" rule contradict. How do I resolve this? Just drive "illegally" on my british licence for weeks and months until I get the SSN?
SSN:
- you should get one sent to the US address you listed within 2-4 weeks. If you need it quickly, or it hasn't gotten to you after a month, go to the local SS office (wait at least a week after arrival) and they can tell you what it is.
- Technically yes, you can start work without it. Practically, employers will be very reluctant to hire you without a SSN.
- Yes, you can get insurance without a SSN. They will ask for a photocopy of your visa, in my experience.
DL: 10 days seem very short, most states give 30, and then there is a wait between theory and practical test. You could get an international drivers license, I *think* that gives you a year
International DL is not recognized by the US:>) OP can take his DL tests without SS# and get a CA DL. He will have to provide his SS# once he has it.
Sometimes the SS# requested with GC works sometimes it does not. Generally it takes two weeks for information to filter from immigration to Social Security.
I went to the DMV last week without a SSN and I was able to take my writing test.
Just go with a document where there is your full name,date and photo ID,such as your passport or other identification you hold.
thank you.
Somewhere they wrote (maybe in the CDH) that I must present my SSN. That book is full of assumptions about already being a resident for a long time or being a US citizen. It's good to know that they are not that strict about this in practice. I will try it a few days after my arrival.
thank you.
Somewhere they wrote (maybe in the CDH) that I must present my SSN. That book is full of assumptions about already being a resident for a long time or being a US citizen. It's good to know that they are not that strict about this in practice. I will try it a few days after my arrival.
I am immigrating to California from the UK within less than a week, on a DV-lottery based visa or greencard.
I have questions regarding the SSN and driving licence.
SSN: In the visa application i had to tick that "i need an ssn".
Does this mean that I will not have to go to the SSN office to request one?
In previous years this might have been different than now in 2012. Previously I think people had to go to the nearest SSN office, and they had to wait 10 days after the arrival (POE) to let the immigration paperwork to reach the SSN administration. Can I get a job and start working before I receive the ssn card?
Can I get/buy private health insurance before getting the SSN?
Driving licence:
They say I must "get" a local driving licence within 10 days of becoming a resident. But, to register for it at DMV, I mut have the SSN, but I will not receive the SSN card for a while after arrival. The california drivers handbook gives examples to what is considered to "becoming a california resident", but none of them really applies to me as a dv lottery new immigrant. I owuld use my UK driving licence initially.
So, it looks like the SSN processing and the DMV's "10 day" rule contradict. How do I resolve this? Just drive "illegally" on my british licence for weeks and months until I get the SSN?
Yes you can "TRY" to get a job with out it , but good luck in finding one . What type of work experence do you have ? What did you do in the UK?
computer hardware design engineering.
I am quiet good at this, with a lot of knowledge, practical experience and a few international publications.
Probably I wouldnt apply until getting an ssn, to avoid getting into the companies' spam-filter blacklist.
International DL is not recognized by the US:>) OP can take his DL tests without SS# and get a CA DL. He will have to provide his SS# once he has it.
Sometimes the SS# requested with GC works sometimes it does not. Generally it takes two weeks for information to filter from immigration to Social Security.
That's not correct, if you have an international license (not just your national one) it is indeed recognized in the US. I don't know about California, but Texas had no problem with mine, and as much as you're supposed to get an in state DL within 30 days in TX, I drove with my international license for close to 7 months before I got one, and had no problem. It even lists USA as one of the countries accepting the international license.
They will not just issue you a US DL however, I had to take the tests, not that they're terribly hard, coming from a western European country.
Remember, though, that the IDP is a permit and not a license and it must be accompanied by a valid driver's license from your home country. It's valid for only a year and can't be renewed. You can obtain a new one once yours is expired but have to go through the whole application process again. It's accepted throughout the US but different states have different laws about the length of time you can use it before getting a state license.
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