Immigration Site

Guys,

If you live in VA and are planning on filing for a green card, BE AWARE effective immediately, Employment Authorization Document WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS PROOF OF LEGAL RESIDENCY for the purpose of obtaining a drivers license or identity document. There is a looser who killed a nun and had a EAD, even though he was facing a deportation proceeding for previous DUI offense. As a result, VA is cracking a huge whip on all immigrants...

See the story on the Washington Post, and even if you dont live in DC Metropolitan area, such a step isnt a far fetched step by many conservative states.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...T2010090707009

It makes sense. An EAD has never been proof of legal status, and lazy/stupid DMVs were using it as such to boost their revenue since it meant they could restrict DLs to a year at a time.

What a stupid knee-jerk reaction. What makes this reaction extra dumb is that the guy didnt even have a license. All he had was a state ID which doesnt grant a right to drive anyway, so if the DMV rejected him it wouldnt have prevented the accident.

What next? A citizen who used a naturalization certificate as proof of legal status drove at 90mph through a residential street and killed some babies, so the naturalization certificate will no longer be acceptable!

So now what will they accept as proof of legal status for somebody with a pending I-485 whose visa and I-94 have expired? Many states dont accept the I-485 receipt.

It makes sense. An EAD has never been proof of legal status, and lazy/stupid DMVs were using it as such to boost their revenue since it meant they could restrict DLs to a year at a time. The EAD is a useful tool for proving status, if verified with USCIS before issuing the license or ID. It has multiple items of information that make it easy for USCIS to identify the individual and determine their status.