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I had a horrible, horrible experience here on Tuesday. I'm a UK citizen applying for 1st US license and had got my exam permit and passed vision and knowledge tests at Lodi. Line at Lodi was too long to wait there after passing tests so I came home and knew I could go to Oakland for license. Turned up at Oakland the next day, lovely and quiet, no lines, plenty of staff...looks good.
Wrong.
The person on the front desk would not accept my UK passport as a 4 point of ID because I also showed an Employment Authorization Card and Social Security Card. According to him, the EAD and SS superceded the passport so I couldn't use them both. This is complete and utter BS, it states quite clearly that you have to present "at least one" of passport / EAD. Not accepting a passport with a US Visa in it? Anyways, I had other ID to show, no biggie. I made up the 6 points with ATM card, Health Insurance card etc.
Showed him my original apartment lease as proof of address. My details get put into the immigration system that they use to check legal status, everything checks out, I'm sent to another desk.
Woman there REJECTS THE LEASE as proof of address. Says a lease can only be used as proof of address if it's been issued within the last 90 days. It's a 20 month lease that started in November 2012 and expires in June 2014 but according to her that's not proof of address. I get really ragey and annoyed with her since I know she's just making this up. There is nothing in any official documents or the 6 point ID brochure that says anything about a lease having to be issued within 90 days. She goes to talk to a supervisor (apparently) and comes back and still says no we can't take this.
1. Your co-worker at the front desk said it was fine
2. Your co-workers at Lodi took it
3. There is nothing anywhere that says anything about it being issued within 90 days. Credit card statements have to be issued within 90 days, bank statement within 60 days. Lease......no timescale. It's there in black and white in the brochure.
4. You're wrong, you're incompetent, you're making this up to be difficult. You can't even understand the wording on the brochure. It's not open to interpretation, it's clear as day, you need to go back to school and take a class in English.
5. I need to step away from this desk and calm down before I'm removed by security.
How many people just happen to need a new drivers license within 90 days of their lease being issued?
Eventually, I concede defeat and use the car insurance card as proof of address We get there in the end, but two days later I am still boiling over the fact they wouldn't accept a passport with a visa as proof of ID nor an original lease as proof as address.
One rule for one worker, another rule for somebody else. One rule at Lodi, another at Oakland. But what can you do, she was never going to budge despite being in the wrong. You just have to be the better person and know that you're in the right.
Since arriving here we've done Social Security cards at Hackensack, I've done EAD card security screening and fingerprinting at Hackensack, permits and testing at Lodi. Oakland was by far the worst experience we've had with public offices since arriving here.
The last time I tried to RENEW my current license I didn't even have enough (I think I had my passport, bank statements, the list goes on) and luckily they accepted my insurance card...not sure what difference that made at that point! This year I have to not only renew but change my name since I'm getting married. I think I'll be there ready to sign over my soul. Welcome to NJ DMV!
Good luck with that. A woman in front of me got sent away as she had something that had her previous non married name on it and wasn't accepted.
In the UK, your passport trumps everything. That's your number 1 form of ID, nothing can beat it. I get the impression here, the drivers license is number 1 form of ID. It's just kind of strange to see a passport with a visa in it be rejected in favour of a SS card and a card whose only purpose is to allow me to go out and get a job. I wouldn't be in the country if it wasn't for the passport and the visa inside it.
Oh another thing, my husband got his license issued until 31st December 2015, mine randomly got issued until my birthday in April 2015, so I'll be back in less than 2 years to renew! Another different rule for different people depending on who you deal with.
I'd be bringing every document I had in a big box. I have to say my last few contacts with NJ MVC have been surprisingly pleasant except for one loser in MV inspection. But she was a private contractor from Parsons.
I'd be bringing every document I had in a big box. I have to say my last few contacts with NJ MVC have been surprisingly pleasant except for one loser in MV inspection. But she was a private contractor from Parsons.
Good luck with your quest,.
Oh yes we read that 6 point brochure many times. According to that, I should have been able to present my passport for 4, my EAD and SS card for 3 - technically that's me at 7 but I still need a secondary so I show my ATM card for 1. Done.
It says "at least one" primary. They don't even understand the concept of "at least one" means you can show more than one from the list to get your points.
So because my passport wasn't allowed, I had to do EAD for 3, SS for 1, ATM for 1, Health Insurance Card for 1. Like I said, we got there in the end with the points, that wasn't my main complaint. It was the lease issue. I don't own a credit card in my own name and all our bank statements are online. We don't get utility bills in the post and they are mostly in my husband's name anyway. The insurance card really was my only other option for proof of address. I run my own business from home and I had all my State of New Jersey Federal tax ID paperwork with me, wouldn't accept that for Proof of Address as that's for a business! That's probably when I really lost it with her.
I've cooled down from boiling. Venting here and knowing I'm not alone really does help. Thanks guys.
I do so much online that I don't get any statements any longer. Would they accept the printouts as they are the norm today.
At least you only have to go through it every four years.
It is my experience that they do not accept print outs or copies of bills, only the originals as sent to your home address.
FWIW, although it is a further drive, my experiences with the MVC offices in Randolph have been good, so it might well be worth the added drive. I recommend not going first thing in the morning, or late in the day, esp Mon mornings and Fri afternoons. It is also a good idea to not go on the first of the month, or during the last few days of a month. I have found that by arriving around 10 am mid week, my recent trips are pretty speedy, and with little hassle. I renewed my DL and a car registration recently and was in and out in about 15/20 min.
KoalaNJ
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