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
A California address for the DMV and most account applications

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in your first few days
It records your admission class and the date until which you may stay, and it is what employers, the DMV and SSA will ask for. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website — nobody hands it to you. Check the 'admit until' 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, so an immediate visit usually ends in being turned away. 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
Dependants and others without work authorisation are ineligible for an SSN. IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Book a DMV appointment before you arrive
The ten-day rule collides with Los Angeles-area appointment availability, which routinely runs weeks out. Booking from abroad is the standard workaround — inland offices in the San Gabriel Valley and the high desert are often much sooner than Westside ones.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
5
Work out which of the 88 cities you actually live in
This determines your police department, your rent protections, your parking permits and who answers your 311 call. Santa Monica, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Burbank and Long Beach are all separate municipalities inside 'Los Angeles'. Confirm it before you sign a lease.
OnlineWho: You
6
Ask for REAL ID, not a standard licence
Since 7 May 2025 a standard California licence cannot board a domestic flight. Ask for REAL ID and bring the extra documents. A passport also works; from 1 February 2026 a $45 TSA ConfirmID fee plus additional screening is the fallback.
In personWho: 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
Employment authorisation document or approval notice, where applicable
Two proofs of California residence for a REAL ID

Things most newcomers don’t know

Which of the 88 cities you live in is a legal fact, not a technicality.

Los Angeles County contains 88 incorporated cities. The City of LA's rent stabilisation ordinance does not apply in Culver City; Santa Monica runs a stricter regime of its own; Beverly Hills and Pasadena have separate police forces and parking rules. Two apartments a mile apart can sit under entirely different law. Check the actual municipality of any address.

Source: LA County — cities and unincorporated areas

California issues licences without proof of lawful status.

Under AB 60 the DMV grants licences to applicants who cannot prove lawful presence, using alternative documents. Such a licence is marked not federally compliant and cannot be used to fly, but it is a genuine option if your status is pending. Los Angeles has the largest AB 60 population in the state.

Source: California DMV — AB 60 driver licences

Book a DMV appointment at an inland office.

Westside and central LA offices are the most oversubscribed in California. The DMV lets you book anywhere in the state, and offices in the San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clarita or out toward Lancaster frequently have appointments weeks earlier. A drive is cheaper than a month of technically-illegal driving.

Source: community-reported

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

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the visa expiry as your permitted stay rather than the I-94 'admit until' date.
Arriving without a DMV appointment inside a ten-day deadline.
Assuming an address is 'in Los Angeles' when it is legally in a different city with different rules.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Accepting a standard licence instead of a REAL ID.

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

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