Canadian living in the U.S. moving back to Ontario

[wisenheim]

I just recently got my full driver's license in Pennsylvania, however I will be moving back to Ontario in a few months.

I've been reading some older threads on this forum as well as the DriveTest rules on exchanging and am quite discouraged at the fact that my driver's license will essentially be worthless once I change my residence back to Ontario since I don't have 2 years of driving experience on it.

My question are:
1) does it become a G1 license automatically or do I end up having to write the written test again?
2) is there any way to convert my full PA license to at least a G2? Not being able to drive on the 400 series highways is debilitating for an adult...
3) would it be worth keeping residence in PA for 2 years (I'll be traveling back and forth between Ontario and PA anyway) and just wait it out until I have 2 years on my PA license?
4) if I do maintain U.S. residence, do I have to change my insurance for when I'm in Ontario and driving? My wife will be moving permanently to Ontario with the car, so she'll need insurance - when I'm back in Ontario, would I be covered to drive? Or would I have to get my own insurance?
5) on the Ontario government page, it says:

Less than 2 years driving experience (with exchange)

"You need to take:

- an eye test, when you apply
- one road test (the G2 road test)

You will not be able to do the G2 road test right away. You need to wait until you gain two, full years of driving experience. For example, if you had a licence for 21 months in your home province, state or country, you can do the G2 road test after 3 months in Ontario. After you pass the G2 road test, you get a full licence.

While you wait, you can drive with your G1 licence, under certain conditions."

This doesn't make sense to me. My license becomes a G1 and I have to wait 2 years before taking my G2 exit test, but once I do I get a G license, however how am I supposed to get highway driving experience without being able to drive on highways (a restriction of the G1)? Is this a typo? Do i have to get a G1, then G2, then G (even though it says I have to take just one road test)?

 

[wisenheim]

I meant to use the subject line "Canadian living in the U.S. moving back to Ontario - question about driver's license exchange"

Can a mod change this?

 

[ihatetrump]

If you get pulled over after 2 months of being an Ontario resident, you might get in trouble if you decide to keep your PA license. Now, you could justify yourself by giving them proof you are actually a PA resident. It's shitty you need 24 months to exchange it ;/ I'm on the same boat.

I find 24 months to be a long time. Like we already took the tests in our states, why do we have to re-take them. Well my 24 months are due soon so I will just wait for it and exchange it. The problem is if you get pulled over in Ontario.

I would just keep the PA lic same way I'm keeping my lic and waiting for the 24 months.

 

[wisenheim]

What are you doing for insurance if you don't have an Ontario driver's license? Do you have an Ontario health card? Wouldn't that show that you have a Canadian address, and DriveTest would think your license from the U.S. isn't legit?

 

[CDNPR2014]

do you HAVE 2 years of driving experience, beyond what is listed on your current PA license? if so, all you need to do is get your driving history from whatever state you were licensed in previously, and they can use the combination of that and your current licence to give you the full G license. This is what I did. I had a CT license that was only a year old, then used a driving history record to prove i had more driving experience. was no issue at all.

if you don't have 2 year's driving experience, then unfortunately you won't qualify for a full G license.

 

[jpv2212]

Hey, apologies if I am being rude.

But, could you please state the reason/s why you have decided to move to Canada from the US?