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
Documented lawful presence for a Florida driver 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, FLHSMV and SSA will want. It is generated electronically and downloaded from the CBP website. Check the date immediately — errors are common and far easier to correct early.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually means 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, usable for tax filing and accepted by many banks. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Book a Florida driver licence appointment
FLHSMV service centres in Miami-Dade are busy and run on appointments. Book early inside the 30-day window. Note that Florida issues licences to non-immigrants with a validity tied to the length of your authorised stay.
OnlineWho: You
5
Ask for a REAL ID-compliant licence
Since 7 May 2025 a standard state licence cannot be used to board a domestic flight. Florida licences issued on lawful-presence documents are generally REAL ID-compliant — confirm at the counter. 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 and change-of-status petitions take months, so start well before the I-94 date. Note that when your status is extended, you must return to FLHSMV to extend the licence too — the two do not sync automatically.
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
Employment authorisation document or approval notice, where applicable
Two proofs of Florida residential address

Things most newcomers don’t know

Florida requires lawful presence; New York and California do not.

FLHSMV will not issue a driver licence or state ID without documentation of lawful presence. New York's Green Light Law and California's AB 60 both allow licences without it. If your status is pending or has lapsed, this is a hard difference — in Florida you may have no US photo ID at all.

Source: Florida FLHSMV — non-immigrant requirements

Extending your immigration status does not extend your licence.

A Florida licence issued to a non-immigrant expires with the authorised stay on your I-94. When USCIS approves an extension you must take the approval notice back to a service centre to have the licence extended. People assume the two systems talk to each other; they do not, and driving on an expired licence is a separate problem from your immigration status.

Source: Florida FLHSMV — driver licences and ID cards

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. Going on day two usually means being told to come back. 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.
Assuming Florida issues IDs without lawful presence, as New York and California do.
Getting a status extension approved and forgetting to extend the driver licence separately.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
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.