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
A Massachusetts address for the RMV and most account applications

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 RMV and SSA will ask for. 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 about 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 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 for tax filing, accepted by many banks. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Sort health coverage inside 63 days
This is the Massachusetts-specific deadline. The state individual mandate applies to people who become residents within 63 days, and non-compliance produces a penalty assessed on your state tax return. If your employer plan starts on the first of the month after you join, check whether that lands inside the window.
Via employerWho: YouWithin 63 days of becoming a resident
5
Get a Massachusetts licence or ID within 30 days
Massachusetts issues licences regardless of immigration status under the Work and Family Mobility Act, though such a licence is not REAL ID-compliant. Ask for a REAL ID if you are eligible; a standard licence cannot be used to board a domestic flight.
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. Falling out of status is far harder to unwind than maintaining 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
Proof of Massachusetts residence for the RMV

Things most newcomers don’t know

The 63-day health insurance deadline exists nowhere else in this set.

Massachusetts' individual mandate applies to people who become residents within 63 days, and a lapse of more than 63 consecutive days triggers a penalty on your state return. Every other US city in this app gives you until the next open enrolment or a 60-day special enrolment window. Here, health cover is a first-month task and it is enforced through tax.

Source: Massachusetts Health Connector — individual mandate

Massachusetts issues licences regardless of immigration status.

Since the Work and Family Mobility Act took effect on 1 July 2023, the RMV issues standard licences without proof of lawful status, using alternative identity documents. Such a licence is not REAL ID-compliant and cannot be used to fly. Massachusetts, New York and California take this approach; Texas and Florida do not.

Source: Massachusetts RMV — driver licences

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

Missing the 63-day health insurance deadline and taking a penalty on your Massachusetts return.
Treating the visa expiry as your permitted stay rather than the I-94 'admit until' date.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Paying anyone a fee for a Social Security card — it is free.
Accepting a standard licence without asking for REAL ID, then finding it does not work at the airport.

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