> I'm in California on a H4 (husband on H1B). I'm confused about what
> our status is.
>
> - When are you California Resident?
> - Do I need to obtain a California driver's licence? The DMV
> website says:
>
> If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver
> license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state
> without getting a California driver license as long as your home state
> license remains valid.
>
> If you take a job here or become a resident, you must get a California
> driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a
> California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner's
> property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not
> ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
>
> So even if my husband is not a resident, but because he has a job he
> will need to obtain a California driver's licence.
> Am I able and/or do I need to get a California driver's licence?
My reading of the California DMV website is that you are eligible. (Of
course, you may have to retake the test.) And yes, you should get one.
Read the DMV website for information about what documents you need to
bring and what you need to learn up on ahead of time.
The issue of H-4's without Social Security Numbers getting driver's
licenses is a patchy one -- as a matter of justice, every state should
do it, but not all do. (For instance, AIUI right now Illinois doesn't,
although that's changing.) Some states are restricting driver's licenses
even to H-1Bs and other long-term nonimmigrants; as a general rule, the
average state lawmaker knows absolutely nothing about nonimmigrants and
just assumes everyone is a citizen, a green card holder or illegal. As a
result, some bad law is created at the state level.
Here in Massachusetts, things are pretty good for now; all you have to
do as an H-4 is go to the local Social Security office before you go get
your driver's license and say 'please give me an SSN even though I know
you won't -- OK, please give me a letter saying I can't have one'. But
other states are different.
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