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Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcl
Go to get drivers license - told to come back when I have a SSN and 2 forms of ID with proof of address. Also told I will need to take a driving test despite having driven for 15 years. Ok ok, I drive on the wrong side of the road and don't mind taking a test as a formality, but the documentation is the frustrating bit.
May have been a wise move to procure an International Driver License before coming here to tide you over.
May have been a wise move to procure an International Driver License before coming here to tide you over.
International Drivers Licenses are just a translation of the original license. They are invalid without the original license being translated, and can't be used to secure US government services or get liability insurance to get a license in a US state that requires one.
Millions of people drive without a DL, all the time, man. Millions more don't have a car and don't live where there's an "el" or a subway, either. They ride a bicycle or the bus, take a taxi, pay a friend for a ride, etc.
Went to SS office today - as I was waiting for my number to be called I noticed a poster that said as of this year they no longer print out temporary SSN's for people - just my luck!
However, I did confirm that they have processed my number* and it was allocated yesterday and is now in the mail.
Went to SS office today - as I was waiting for my number to be called I noticed a poster that said as of this year they no longer print out temporary SSN's for people - just my luck!
However, I did confirm that they have processed my number* and it was allocated yesterday and is now in the mail.
*But she wouldn't tell me the number.
Well, congratulations, you now know more than you did 3 days ago, so...you're just that much closer!
Go to get drivers license - told to come back when I have a SSN and 2 forms of ID with proof of address.
I'd double check that, depends on the state but most are going to be issuing "secure ID's" which require a birth certificate or some form of immigration documentation. Not sure what form of immigration documentation. Keep in mind your license is going to be your primary ID for everything so the documentation to get it is important.
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Also told I will need to take a driving test despite having driven for 15 years.
Don;t feel bad, my Brother who has never even left the US had to retest when he moved to another state. Was just a written test which he promptly failed. LOL
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I'm working on 2 forms of ID which is my next vent.
It's going to vary by state but those can usually be something like a utility bill or even a magazine subscription.
To put things in perspective, I grew up in the US but wasn't born here. Since my parents never bothered to get their citizenship, I had to line up at the INS in NYC to fill out the forms to get naturalized. The line was really long and when I got there, the person at the counter treated me like I didn't speak English. It was mildly insulting to say the least since I was attending the best public high school in NYC at the time. The entire bureaucratic structure around immigration is overloaded due to the number of applicants and ran by unambitious government workers who can't get fired. But you should remember most countries in the world do not give you an option to become their citizens. And another thing to put in perspective, after my daughter was born in a hospital in NY last year, they mailed us her SSN card without any effort on her part. She is already well ahead of all the status seekers without being aware of anything.
Yes - when I brought my wife to Australia we literally walked into the DMV and got her a license, and we walked across the road to a bank and got her an account and then enrolled her in Medicare and arranged a Tax File Number (similar to a SSN). I've solely navigated Australian Immigration and the US Greencard Immigration process so it's not like I'm totally unaware of how either country works. Just venting that the SSN is a bottleneck, I guess.
That's probably because in Australia you don't have illegals coming across the borders in droves, so you don't need any laws protecting yourself from that.
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