Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category, and work authorisation from DHS for anything paid
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
One proof of identity and two proofs of a New Mexico address
An MVD appointment, or a visit to a private partner office

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the MVD and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Book the MVD appointment, or use a private partner office
New Mexico delivers MVD services both through state field offices and through authorised private partner offices around Albuquerque. The private offices charge a small convenience fee and are frequently much faster. For a newcomer with 30 days on the clock and several transactions to do, that fee is usually worth paying.
In personWho: YouDay 1–5
3
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
The SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so going in on day two usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
4
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks and landlords. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
5
Decide between a REAL ID and a Standard licence
A REAL ID credential requires proof of an identification number, identity, lawful status and two proofs of New Mexico residency, and is what you need for domestic flights and federal buildings. A Standard licence needs neither a Social Security number nor proof of lawful presence, and New Mexico law requires it to be accepted for all other identification purposes in the state on the same terms. Know which you are applying for before you go — the document lists are different.
OnlineWho: You
6
Understand the clearance ceiling before you build a job search around the labs
Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory dominate the technical job market here, and the great majority of their roles require US citizenship and a security clearance. That is not negotiable and it is not a hiring preference. Non-citizens should aim at the university, the hospital systems, the semiconductor fabs, the film industry and the contractor tier that does unclassified work.
OnlineWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, visa page, approval notices and SSN card are asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, the MVD and beWellnm. Scan them once and keep the set reachable from a phone.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
One proof of identity and age, plus two proofs of a New Mexico address
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Proof of lawful status, if applying for a REAL ID credential

Things most newcomers don’t know

New Mexico licenses drivers without asking about immigration status.

The Standard licence needs one identity document and two proofs of New Mexico residency — no Social Security number, no proof of lawful presence, no fingerprints. It is not a REAL ID and it will not get you through airport security, but state law requires it to be accepted for every other identification purpose in New Mexico on the same terms as a REAL ID, including cashing a cheque and obtaining state and local government services. Texas, by contrast, will not issue a licence at all in these circumstances.

Source: New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division

The best-paid technical jobs in this city are closed to non-citizens.

Sandia, Kirtland and AFRL are the backbone of Albuquerque's professional economy and the overwhelming majority of their positions require citizenship and a clearance. A newcomer who plans a move around 'there are national laboratory jobs in Albuquerque' without checking that constraint can arrive to a much thinner market than they expected. UNM, the hospital systems, Intel, the film industry and unclassified contract work are the accessible ones.

Source: community-reported

Thirty days, and it covers both the licence and the car.

New Mexico gives 30 days from establishing residency for the driver licence and 30 days to register a vehicle brought into the state. Employment for 30 days or more within a 60-day period creates a presumption of residency, so the clock can start before you think of yourself as having moved. It is more generous than California and much tighter than Texas.

Source: New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. People routinely plan around the wrong date and discover the error at renewal.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Building a job search around the national laboratory without checking the citizenship requirement.
Turning up at a state MVD office at lunchtime when a private partner office would have taken twenty minutes.
Applying for a Standard licence and expecting to fly domestically on it.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Assuming the 30-day clock starts when you feel settled rather than when you started work.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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