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
A California address, evidenced for the licensing application
A booked DMV appointment — the real constraint

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 DMV and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Book the DMV appointment before you unpack
California's deadlines are short and Riverside County DMV appointments run weeks out. Booking is the first thing to do once you have a California address, ahead of gathering documents. The Riverside, Corona, Hemet and Banning field offices all serve this area and their queues differ by weeks — check all of them rather than the nearest.
OnlineWho: YouDay 1–3
3
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, so going in on day two usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
4
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
5
Decide between a REAL ID and an AB 60 licence
California issues a REAL ID-compliant licence to people who can document lawful presence, and an AB 60 licence to residents who cannot — the latter is valid for driving and insurance and is explicitly marked as not acceptable for federal identification. The document sets differ. Know which you are applying for before the appointment.
OnlineWho: You
6
Check where your employer's worksite actually is
Employment-based statuses are tied to a specific employer and often to a specific worksite, and in this region the job that pays for a Riverside house is frequently in Orange County or the San Gabriel Valley. A change of worksite can have immigration consequences that a change of desk does not. Establish what your category permits before agreeing to a location change.
OnlineWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, visa page, approval notices and SSN card are asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, the DMV and Covered California. Scan them once and keep the set reachable 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
Two proofs of a California residential address, as specified by the DMV
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Social Security number, or an ineligibility letter, depending on the licence class

Things most newcomers don’t know

California's new-resident clock is the shortest in this app.

Most states allow 30, 60 or 90 days — Ohio gives 30, Nebraska 30, Texas 90. California's DMV guidance gives 20 days to register a vehicle you brought with you, and the licence obligation for a driving resident is commonly cited as 10. Against Riverside County appointment queues that is genuinely tight, and the fix is to book on day one rather than to plan around the deadline.

Source: California DMV — new to California

California licenses residents regardless of immigration status — on a marked credential.

Under AB 60 California issues a driver licence to an otherwise-qualified resident who cannot document lawful presence, marked as not acceptable for federal purposes. Texas, Ohio and Nebraska all refuse to do this. In a metro where almost no job is reachable without a car, that difference is enormous, and it changes nobody's immigration status.

Source: California DMV

Four DMV field offices serve this area and their queues differ by weeks.

Riverside, Corona, Hemet and Banning are all within reach and the booking system shows availability per office. The nearest is frequently not the soonest, and checking all of them routinely finds an appointment inside the 20-day window when the default office cannot.

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. 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

Treating California's window like a 90-day state and missing it entirely.
Not booking a DMV appointment until the documents are ready.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Treating an AB 60 licence as a REAL ID at an airport.
Agreeing to a worksite change across the county line without checking what your status permits.

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