Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
An Illinois address for the Secretary of State and most accounts

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 Secretary of State and SSA will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website. Check the date immediately.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN — and look at the TVDL
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing. Separately, Illinois issues a Temporary Visitor Driver's License to residents who cannot obtain an SSN, which lets you drive and buy insurance legally. It is not valid as federal identification.
OnlineWho: You
4
Book a Secretary of State facility appointment
Illinois driver services facilities take appointments and Chicago-area ones fill up. Ninety days is generous, but book early — and note you must surrender every out-of-state licence and ID you hold at the counter.
OnlineWho: You
5
Ask for a REAL ID
Since 7 May 2025 a standard state licence cannot board a domestic flight. Illinois issues REAL ID-marked licences to those who qualify; a TVDL is not REAL ID. Your passport also works, and from 1 February 2026 a $45 TSA ConfirmID fee plus extra screening is the fallback.
In personWho: You
6
Track your status expiry yourself
Nobody will remind you. USCIS extensions take months, so start well before the I-94 date.
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
All out-of-state driver licences and ID cards, for surrender
Proof of Illinois residence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Illinois has a licence route for people with no Social Security number.

The Temporary Visitor Driver's License lets Illinois residents who are ineligible for an SSN drive legally and buy insurance. It is not federal identification and cannot be used to fly, but it solves a problem that in Texas or Florida simply has no solution. It matters for dependants on derivative status as much as for anyone else.

Source: Illinois Secretary of State — Temporary Visitor Driver's License

You must surrender every out-of-state licence you hold.

Illinois will not issue until you hand over all other US state licences and ID cards. People arriving via another US state routinely expect to keep the old card as a souvenir or backup and are told otherwise at the counter. Bring them; not having them delays the appointment.

Source: Illinois Secretary of State — new to Illinois driving

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. Holders of long-validity visas routinely assume matching residence rights and fall out of status.

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

Applying for an SSN too early is the standard wasted trip.

SSA checks your status against DHS records that take one to two weeks to sync after entry. Waiting about ten days turns two visits into one.

Source: Social Security Administration — noncitizens and Social Security numbers

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the visa expiry as your permitted stay rather than the I-94 'admit until' date.
Arriving at a driver services facility without the out-of-state licences you must surrender.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Assuming a TVDL works as federal ID — it does not.
Paying anyone a fee for a Social Security card — it is free.

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