+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Newcomers can only get a G1 driver's license in Ontario?

buliwyf

Star Member
Mar 27, 2013
117
7
I'm reading this:
http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/get-g-drivers-licence-new-drivers

I'm not sure if I understand it correctly, but everyone needs to get a G1 first, then after 1-year of "practicing," it's only when we can apply for a G2 driver's license??
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
92,910
20,525
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
No - that's not correct.

See:

http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/exchange-foreign-drivers-licence
 

buliwyf

Star Member
Mar 27, 2013
117
7
If you want to earn credit for more than one year of driving experience, you will also need an official letter from the foreign government or agency that issued the driver’s licence, confirming that the licence is authentic.
So I would need to bring my:
1. Actual driver's license (ID card) from my country of origin
2. Letter from the issuing body of the license stating that my license is authentic

With these, I can apply for a G2?
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
21,950
1,318
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
With these, you can be exempted from the waiting period to take the road test.

If you have enough driving experience, you can go straight for the G2 (advanced) road test and get a G license (full license).

If you have at least more than a year driving experience or you fail the G2 road test, you can take the G1 (basic) road test and get a G2 (limited) licensed.
 

Maddants

Champion Member
Oct 18, 2012
2,192
65
Kingston
Category........
Visa Office......
Kingston
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
Jan. 23, 2012
AOR Received.
June 11, 2012
File Transfer...
June 26, 2012
Med's Request
Jan. 11, 2015
Med's Done....
Dec. 9, 2011 / Nov. 9, 2015
Interview........
Sept. 17, 2013
Passport Req..
February 29, 2016
VISA ISSUED...
March 7, 2016
LANDED..........
April 28, 2016
i think the best thing for new comers heading to canada is make sure you drivers license is valid... go and get a international license from your home country so u can drive in canada or any foreign countries until you can get there license....make sure you get a letter stating how long you have your license...
 

orly

Star Member
Oct 9, 2012
191
63
Guelph, Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
London
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-12-2012
AOR Received.
01-01-2013
File Transfer...
09-01-2013
Med's Done....
15-11-2012
Passport Req..
Exempt
VISA ISSUED...
05-08-2013
LANDED..........
17-08-2013 (lived in Canada since 2012 though)
buliwyf said:
I'm reading this:
http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/get-g-drivers-licence-new-drivers

I'm not sure if I understand it correctly, but everyone needs to get a G1 first, then after 1-year of "practicing," it's only when we can apply for a G2 driver's license??
Nope. You can get a full G licence provided your home country has a reciprocal licensing agreement with Ontario.

I came from Northern Ireland and swapped for a full G a few weeks after I arrived. I had my N.Ireland license for 7 years so nothing was required beyond a quick eye test.
 

humsafar

Hero Member
Jun 2, 2010
617
47
Category........
Visa Office......
London
NOC Code......
1233
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
11-01-2011
Doc's Request.
Sent with initial application
IELTS Request
Sent with initial application
File Transfer...
IN PROCESS 19-10-2011
Med's Request
20-07-2012
Med's Done....
25-08-2012 received in London 31-08-2012
For how many months the driving experience letter is valid from its date of issue
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
21,950
1,318
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
humsafar said:
For how many months the driving experience letter is valid from its date of issue
In Ontario, it should be less than 6 months old, see http://www.drivetest.ca/EN/licencing/Pages/Out-of-Country-Drivers.aspx
 

mameelynn

Hero Member
Oct 22, 2011
465
17
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo... I mean CPP Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
27/02/2012
Doc's Request.
06/06/2012
File Transfer...
03/07/2012
Med's Done....
16/12/2011
Passport Req..
12/12/12
VISA ISSUED...
31/01/2013
LANDED..........
04/2013
I was able to switch mine over no problem but they are still giving us a run around with my husband! His old card expired in 2011 (5 year cards in Washington state so it ran from 2006-2011) so his current one is from July 2011 and because we don't still have the expired card they are only willing to give him his experience from the 2011 date even though we have the one from 2001-2006 and it all has the same drivers license number! We are now in the middle of trying to get Washington state to mail us a full driving record showing that he has had a full time license from them since 2001 but Ontario's requirements are driving us mad!! We were able to get a full copy e-mailed to us but Nope not good enough, then we were going to get it faxed to their own office from the Washington one but NOPE it has to come through the mail system.... yeah what a pain in the butt!! We are now waiting to see if Washington is able to mail it to a Canadian address or if we will have to have it mailed to family in the states and then have them re-mail it to us.... I have called and complained about the lack of service we have received at "service Ontario" but I'm sure one little complaint will change any ridiculous government protocol!!! Add to that the fact that until he has an Ontario license we can't finnish the importing of the car process and if he gets the lame G2 our insurance will be even more through the roof in price then it will be with full G licenses!!
 

dubaiite

Hero Member
May 3, 2011
552
19
canada
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
VISA ISSUED...
1-11-2012
LANDED..........
24-3-2013
humsafar said:
For how many months the driving experience letter is valid from its date of issue
TWO months .. I got it from Sharjah
 

parker24

VIP Member
Nov 26, 2011
3,324
72
123
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY --> Los Angeles, CA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-03-2012
File Transfer...
05-06-2012
Med's Done....
16-11-2011
Passport Req..
16-11-2012
LANDED..........
04-01-2013
mameelynn said:
I was able to switch mine over no problem but they are still giving us a run around with my husband! His old card expired in 2011 (5 year cards in Washington state so it ran from 2006-2011) so his current one is from July 2011 and because we don't still have the expired card they are only willing to give him his experience from the 2011 date even though we have the one from 2001-2006 and it all has the same drivers license number! We are now in the middle of trying to get Washington state to mail us a full driving record showing that he has had a full time license from them since 2001 but Ontario's requirements are driving us mad!! We were able to get a full copy e-mailed to us but Nope not good enough, then we were going to get it faxed to their own office from the Washington one but NOPE it has to come through the mail system.... yeah what a pain in the butt!! We are now waiting to see if Washington is able to mail it to a Canadian address or if we will have to have it mailed to family in the states and then have them re-mail it to us.... I have called and complained about the lack of service we have received at "service Ontario" but I'm sure one little complaint will change any ridiculous government protocol!!! Add to that the fact that until he has an Ontario license we can't finnish the importing of the car process and if he gets the lame G2 our insurance will be even more through the roof in price then it will be with full G licenses!!
Same thing happened to us. My husband has had a licence since 2004 but renewed his DL in 2011. So we had to get a letter. Well that letter only went back TWO years, Ontario needed THREE years. So they were going to give him a G2! I said hell no and we demanded a new letter from his state (TN). They finally corrected it and he got his full G. We imported his car before he got his G though, so it's okay to import it beforehand.
 

Yorker13

Hero Member
May 27, 2013
399
26
hi all,

I just landed 2 weeks ago, and unfortunately i forgot to bring the authentication paper from Abu dhabi,UAE, to show that I am driving more than 10 years,but i still got my original D/L,so my questions is:

if i show my Foreign license only ( the date of issue is written on it in eglish) will they accept it and waive the one year waiting period to do G2 exam?..or i have to bring the experience letter?

2- if i pass the G1 written exam and they give me a year before i apply for G2 can i come back after getting the driving experience letter and waive the one year waiting period ?

3- where can i download the driver license written exam manual.

thanks all
 

parker24

VIP Member
Nov 26, 2011
3,324
72
123
Ontario
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY --> Los Angeles, CA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
06-03-2012
File Transfer...
05-06-2012
Med's Done....
16-11-2011
Passport Req..
16-11-2012
LANDED..........
04-01-2013
Yorker13 said:
hi all,

I just landed 2 weeks ago, and unfortunately i forgot to bring the authentication paper from Abu dhabi,UAE, to show that I am driving more than 10 years,but i still got my original D/L,so my questions is:

if i show my Foreign license only ( the date of issue is written on it in eglish) will they accept it and waive the one year waiting period to do G2 exam?..or i have to bring the experience letter?

2- if i pass the G1 written exam and they give me a year before i apply for G2 can i come back after getting the driving experience letter and waive the one year waiting period ?

3- where can i download the driver license written exam manual.

thanks all
Does it have a date before 2011 on it? If so, you will get a G. Only test is an eye test.
 

Yorker13

Hero Member
May 27, 2013
399
26
parker24 said:
Does it have a date before 2011 on it? If so, you will get a G. Only test is an eye test.
Hi,

yes my d/l issue date is on 2001, but its from UAE ( United Arab Emirates) not USA....will I still get a G d/l..?
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
21,950
1,318
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Yorker13 said:
hi all,

I just landed 2 weeks ago, and unfortunately i forgot to bring the authentication paper from Abu dhabi,UAE, to show that I am driving more than 10 years,but i still got my original D/L,so my questions is:

if i show my Foreign license only ( the date of issue is written on it in eglish) will they accept it and waive the one year waiting period to do G2 exam?..or i have to bring the experience letter?

2- if i pass the G1 written exam and they give me a year before i apply for G2 can i come back after getting the driving experience letter and waive the one year waiting period ?

3- where can i download the driver license written exam manual.

thanks all
1. For Ontario, you need the driving experience letter, see http://www.drivetest.ca/EN/licencing/Pages/Out-of-Country-Drivers.aspx if you want to claim more than 12 months of experience. If you only want to claim 12 months experience and your foreign license was issued more than 12 months ago, you would be able to take the basic road test and get a G2 license. Then wait 2 years and then take an advanced road test and get a full license, see http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/exchange-foreign-drivers-licence

2. I have seen somewhere although I can't find the link at the moment that if you enter the GDL system by taking the written exam without claiming foreign license and driving experience, you can not bring a letter later.

3. You can find the Ontario drivers handbook here: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/handbook/ or here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/53041312/ontario-drivers-handbook

Yorker13 said:
Hi,

yes my d/l issue date is on 2001, but its from UAE ( United Arab Emirates) not USA....will I still get a G d/l..?
If it was from the US or some other country that has an exchange agreement with Ontario, you could exchange without taking a test but because it's not, you have to pass the written test and road test.