Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record retrieved from the CBP website
DHS work authorisation for a Social Security number
Proof of a Tennessee address — two documents for a licence or ID

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 driver services centre and the Social Security Administration will ask to see. Retrieved electronically from the CBP site.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies your status against DHS records that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number lets you file a federal return — there is no Tennessee individual return — and is accepted by many banks and landlords. It confers no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Open the MLGW account before you move in
Memphis Light, Gas and Water supplies electricity, natural gas and water on a single municipal account. New customers without established US credit are normally asked for a refundable security deposit. Start it a week ahead rather than on move-in day, and ask about levelised billing to smooth the summer peak.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Visit a driver services centre within about 30 days
Tennessee issues a temporary credential to applicants with temporary lawful status, valid for the length of the authorised stay. Bring unexpired immigration documents plus two proofs of a Tennessee address; check the department's current list before travelling.
In personWho: YouWithin ~30 days
6
Ask for a REAL ID-compliant credential
Since 7 May 2025 a non-compliant state licence cannot board a domestic flight. Tennessee issues both compliant and standard credentials, and the compliant one requires the fuller document set — bring everything to the first visit.
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, where your category requires one
Two documents proving a Tennessee residential address

Things most newcomers don’t know

One utility account covers all three utilities, which is rare and mostly good.

MLGW is a division of the City of Memphis and the largest three-service municipal utility in the country, supplying electricity, gas and water to over 400,000 customers. There is one account to open, one bill and one number to call — but also no alternative supplier to switch to if you are unhappy, and a single deposit demand that covers all three services at once.

Source: Memphis Light, Gas and Water

The utility deposit is the real first-month surprise, not the licence fee.

A customer with no established US credit is normally asked for a refundable security deposit before service is connected. It is returned after a period of on-time payment, but it lands in the same week as the rental deposit and the car. Budget for it explicitly and set the account up before, not on, move-in day.

Source: Memphis Light, Gas and Water

There is no Tennessee individual income tax return at all.

The state constitution bars a personal income tax and the last remaining piece — the Hall tax on interest and dividends — was fully repealed from 1 January 2021. That means one return a year rather than two, and no state withholding form on your first day.

Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue — Hall income tax

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 plan around the visa date and overstay without realising.

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

Common mistakes to avoid

Leaving the MLGW account until move-in day and finding a deposit is required first.
Assuming there is a state tax return to file — there is not.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Asking for a standard credential and discovering later it cannot board a flight.
Turning up without two acceptable proofs of a Tennessee address.

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