In a really bad move, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnel announced that foreign nationals with legal work permits, that is people with legal status in the United States, can no longer obtain a VA driver’s license with their work permits alone. This makes it nearly impossible for countless thousands to obtain driver’s licenses.
The VA DMV now wants an I-797 (receipt or approval notice) from USCIS along with the highly secure, technically advanced I-766 employment authorization documents. If you have ever seen the modern day USCIS work permit, it is the epitome of one the highest security identification documents that is found on the planet. Arguably, far more advanced than any VA driver’s license. A USCIS work permit has holograms, codes, data strips and is not a forgeable document. If there was a forgery, a trained DMV officer can instantly check the validity of the work permit so the document in itself should be enough of a valid ID to obtain a Driver’s license. To require a additional piece of paper from USCIS is comical, especially since USCIS does not always issue this I-797. And what’s further, I have had clients go with the I-797 and work permit, and still not get a driver’s license because the 797 was “too old.”
We are truly in a dark time for immigrants and have been for several years.
To view the release click here.
