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
Two proofs of a Pennsylvania residential address
A Social Security number or, for licensing purposes, evidence of ineligibility

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, PennDOT and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
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. 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
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
4
Establish which municipality and school district your address is in
Pennsylvania's local earned income tax is set by the municipality and the school district you live in, and identified by a PSD code you give your employer. A 'Pittsburgh, PA' postal address may be in the City of Pittsburgh or in one of dozens of separate boroughs and townships with different rates. Look the address up on the state's local income tax register before your first payroll.
OnlineWho: YouBefore the first paycheque
5
Go to a PennDOT driver licence centre within 60 days
New residents have 60 days to obtain a Pennsylvania licence. PennDOT centres accept walk-ins — no appointment needed — which is a genuine advantage over several other states. Take Form DL-180R, proof of identity, your Social Security card and two proofs of Pennsylvania residency, and expect a vision screening.
In personWho: YouWithin 60 days
6
Decide whether you want a REAL ID
Pennsylvania issues both REAL ID and standard licences. REAL ID is optional here and costs a one-off fee on top of the normal one, but a standard Pennsylvania licence will not board a domestic flight or enter a federal building. If you fly domestically at all, get the REAL ID at the same appointment rather than making a second trip.
In personWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, the visa page, the approval notices and the SSN card get asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, PennDOT and the marketplace. Scan them once and keep the set somewhere you can reach 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
Form DL-180R for an out-of-state licence transfer
Two proofs of a Pennsylvania residential address
Certified English translations of any non-English documents

Things most newcomers don’t know

PennDOT does not make you book, and that is unusual.

Several states in this app run licensing entirely on appointments that book out for weeks, which turns a 60-day window into a scramble. Pennsylvania driver licence centres take walk-ins. The practical advice inverts: go early in the week, early in the day, and bring every document rather than racing a calendar.

Source: PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services

Your PSD code is a document, not a formality.

Pennsylvania employers withhold local earned income tax based on a Political Subdivision code that identifies your municipality and school district. Give the wrong one — easily done when your postal town and your governing municipality differ — and the money goes to the wrong government, which you then have to unpick at filing time. Look it up for the specific address on the state register.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development

A standard Pennsylvania licence is not a REAL ID.

Pennsylvania made REAL ID optional, so it is possible to leave the counter with a perfectly valid licence that will not get you through airport security. The upgrade requires the same identity documents you are already carrying, so doing it in one visit costs a fee and no extra trip.

Source: TSA — REAL ID

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

Assuming a 'Pittsburgh, PA' postal address means you live in the City of Pittsburgh — a great many do not.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Giving payroll the wrong PSD code and paying local tax to the wrong municipality all year.
Leaving PennDOT with a standard licence and discovering at the airport that it is not a REAL ID.
Letting the 60-day licence window elapse — being stopped after it does adds citations to the paperwork.

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