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 Texas driver licence or ID

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and your 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, DPS and SSA will ask to see. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website. Check the date immediately — errors are common and much easier to fix early.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait roughly ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually ends in being sent 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 are not work-authorised, file for an ITIN
Dependants and others without work permission cannot get an SSN. IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Book a Texas DPS appointment early
Driver licence offices in the Austin area run on appointments and the wait can be weeks, which is manageable inside a 90-day window but not if you leave it late. Book as soon as you have an address.
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. Texas licences issued to lawful-presence applicants are generally REAL ID-compliant, but confirm at the counter. Your passport also works, and from 1 February 2026 a $45 TSA ConfirmID fee plus additional screening is the fallback.
In personWho: You
6
Track your own status expiry
Nobody will remind you. USCIS extensions and change-of-status petitions take months, so start well before the I-94 date. Falling out of status is far harder to fix than staying in it.
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 Texas residency for DPS

Things most newcomers don’t know

Texas requires lawful presence for a licence; New York and California do not.

Texas DPS 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 between states and it affects your ability to hold any ID at all.

Source: Texas DPS — requirements

Temporary visa holders get short licence terms and renew often.

Because a Texas licence is tied to the length of your lawful status, a two-year visa produces a licence expiring with it rather than a standard multi-year card. Each renewal means presenting current status documents again. Budget the time; it is a recurring administrative cost that citizens never see.

Source: Texas DPS — apply for a Texas driver licence

The visa 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-year visas routinely assume five years of residence and fall out of status. The I-94 is the only date that governs.

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

Applying for an SSN too early is the most common wasted trip.

SSA checks your status against DHS records that take one to two weeks to sync after entry. Going on day two normally 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 Texas issues IDs without lawful presence, as New York and California do.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Paying anyone a fee for a Social Security card — it is free.
Leaving the DPS appointment to the end of the 90 days and finding no slots.

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