I’m in a bit of a tough spot and could really use some advice.
I’m a legal immigrant and currently a dependent on my wife’s visa. She’s working, has an SSN and credit history, but doesn’t have a driver’s license and has never driven before. I’ve had a valid U.S. license for over a year now, but I don’t have an SSN (not eligible).
We’ve been getting by with public transport and Uber for the past two years, but it’s getting harder to manage without a car. We recently tried to lease a GM vehicle — I applied, but was declined because I don’t have an SSN. We tried putting my wife as the main applicant and me as the co-signer, but that didn’t work either because she doesn’t have a license.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there any way to lease or finance a car without both an SSN and a driver’s license on the same person? Any information is greatly appreciated — thanks in advance!
You Rent from Turo while your wife gets her license. But be aware, insurance costs for both you and your wife will be extremely high once you buy or lease a vehicle, as you have little/no US driving history.
Unfortunately all this is built up over time, and there is no quick solution.
Edit: honestly, best bet is for your wife to get her license, then finance a used car from carmax with an extended warranty.
You’re looking for a “buy here, pay here” car dealer. Usually not going to happen with a franchise dealer, so look for an independent used car dealer and find the cheapest decent car possible. You can also look into a non-conventional lender like Lightstream.
You should probably have an ITIN so you can start having some sort of credit history and to be able to file taxes jointly.
As already mentioned above, insurance costs are gonna hurt, A LOT. I started paying $300+ a month in insurance alone for a 22 CRV, can’t even imagine how much it would be for an EV.
It will probably be cheaper to do monthly rentals/Turo
Have you looked into foreign executive programs that some captives offer?
Do you have a US credit history? The bureaus don’t need an SSN to maintain a file, as they primarily match consumers with trade lines by name and address. SSN is a secondary or tertiary match criteria.
Separately but related to your credit history, if you don’t have automotive finance history reporting, that may be your next obstacle to leasing.
Buying this time may very well be the path of least resistance, and it seems that you have some pressing time constraints.
