Alberta does not recognize my Victorian Drivers’ License. Therefore I am required to go through the whole process – learners (wait one year), probationary driving test (wait two years), advanced driving test (hurrah) - to become a full-fledged license holder. In the interests of efficiency, as a foreign license holder with driving experience, I am able to apply to miss the probationary period and go straight to the advanced driving test.
The steps are:
1. Go to the registry office complete with passport, immigration papers, foreign drivers’ license and proof of address, hand over the foreign license (never to be seen again) fill out forms, sit learners’ permit test (and pass) be issued with a piece of paper saying you have passed and the license can be sent to you and the learners is sent to you within two weeks.
2. The registry office applies for an exemption from the probationary period. This takes 2 to 6 weeks, and no, they do not ring you to advise when it comes through, you must pop in and check. Oh and no, you cannot drive because you are not licensed – foreign license now void.
3. Once the exemption is approved (in 2 to 6 weeks) you can book your advanced driving test. If you pass (the pass rate has not been good amongst the Aussies here – we average two tests to pass), your learners is taken from you and you are issued with a temporary paper (hurray, allowed to drive once again) and your license will be sent to you within 2 weeks.
So with that background, here starts my little tale:
I went to the registry office clutching all required papers. Filled out the form, surrendered my foreign license, sat the test, passed (phew!) They could not issue my piece of paper because the system was down. Because I did not have the piece of paper, my learners could not be sent to me within 2 weeks, I must come back next week. I was, however, given a paper to prove I had passed the test.
Back I trot, proof-of-test in hand. Also actually need passport, immigration papers, foreign drivers’ license and proof of address despite them having already been seen, copied, stamped etc… So home I head and front up again but where is my foreign license? I calmly explained that it had been taken from me when I sat the test. I was advised that it had not been. A short discussion (had not, had so, had not, had so – get the idea…) followed and I was then advised that as I did not have a foreign license, I could not apply for the exemption. Stalemate!
Fortunately sanity prevailed over homicide and the clerk at the next counter interjected remembering me and my license. Despite some very strong protests from the chap serving me, she sweetly suggested I take a seat and she would help me when she had finished with her current customer. By this stage, it had taken two hours for the “convert my proof-of-test paper into a now-allowed-to-send-the-learners-permit paper” exercise.
The exercise was completed within a 3 hour time frame. It is with much anticipation I now wait to receive my learners, my exemption, do the advanced driving test and once again be able to drive.
… in the meantime, our 16-y-o can act as chauffeur!
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