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
Proof of identity, lawful status and Rhode Island residency for the DMV

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your class of admission and your 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the DMV and the Social Security Administration will ask for. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website — check the details immediately, since corrections are far easier early.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then file Form SS-5 in person
The Social Security Administration verifies your status against DHS records that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually ends in being sent away. Bring passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee for the card.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
Get the Social Security card or the denial letter — Rhode Island wants one or the other
The RI DMV asks out-of-country applicants for an original Social Security card, not a copy, or a formal denial letter from the Social Security Administration if you are not eligible. Sequence this before you book the DMV: the denial letter is a separate errand and it is the single most common reason an appointment has to be repeated.
In personWho: You
4
File IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN if you are not work-authorised
Dependants and others without work permission cannot get an SSN. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number covers federal and Rhode Island tax filing and is accepted by many banks and landlords. It confers no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
5
Go to DMV Cranston for an out-of-country licence transfer
Rhode Island handles all out-of-country driver licence transfers at its Cranston headquarters only — the branch offices and the AAA partner locations that process ordinary transactions cannot do it. Cranston is about fifteen minutes from downtown Providence. Book ahead and go with the full document set, because the second trip is another appointment, not a walk-in.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days of establishing residency
6
Decide between a REAL ID and a standard licence
REAL ID enforcement began on 7 May 2025 and hardened on 1 February 2026: a non-compliant licence is no longer accepted on its own at the checkpoint, and TSA routes those travellers into an additional screening process for a fee, which is neither guaranteed to clear you nor a substitute for the card. Treat a compliant licence or your passport as the only dependable way to board. Rhode Island issues a REAL ID-compliant licence requiring the full document set. Your passport also works, so for most newcomers this is a convenience decision rather than a necessity.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Original Social Security card, or an SSA denial letter
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Two proofs of Rhode Island residency — a lease and a utility bill work

Things most newcomers don’t know

One office in the entire state does out-of-country licence transfers.

Rhode Island routes every out-of-country driver licence transfer through DMV headquarters in Cranston. Branch offices and the AAA counters that handle renewals and registrations cannot process one. In a state this small that is genuinely workable — Cranston is fifteen minutes from downtown Providence — but it means an appointment there is a bottleneck for every new arrival in Rhode Island at once, and turning up at the wrong counter is a wasted morning.

Source: Rhode Island DMV — new to Rhode Island

Bring the original Social Security card, not a photocopy — or a denial letter.

The RI DMV's out-of-country checklist asks for the card itself or a formal SSA denial letter for applicants who are not eligible for a number. People arrive with a payslip, a photograph of the card, or nothing, and are sent away. Getting the denial letter means a separate visit to a Social Security office, so build it into the sequence rather than discovering it at the counter.

Source: Rhode Island DMV — licence and ID document checklist

The visa sticker's expiry date 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 five- and ten-year visas routinely assume that is the length of their residence, never check the record, and fall out of status without noticing. The I-94 'admit until' date is the only one that governs.

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

Applying for a Social Security number too early is the classic wasted trip.

SSA verifies status against DHS records that take one to two weeks to sync after entry. Turning up on day two normally means being told to come back. Waiting until about day ten turns two visits into one, and nothing else meaningfully depends on the number before then.

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.
Going to a DMV branch or a AAA counter for an out-of-country transfer. Only Cranston does them.
Turning up without the original Social Security card or an SSA denial letter.
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.