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 Michigan address, evidenced for the licensing application
US citizenship, for the Enhanced Driver's License specifically

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 Secretary of State 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
Book a Secretary of State appointment immediately
Michigan branches operate largely on booked appointments, and the state expects conversion on becoming a resident rather than after a long grace period. Book as soon as you have a Michigan address you can evidence — the appointment calendar is the constraint.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Decide which class of licence before you go
Michigan issues a standard licence, a REAL ID-compliant licence, and an Enhanced Driver's License. Each has a different document set and you cannot change class on the day if you brought the wrong pack.
OnlineWho: YouBefore the appointment
6
Choose the Enhanced Driver's License if you are a US citizen
It is REAL ID-valid for domestic flights and additionally serves as a border document for land and sea entry from Canada. Given that Windsor is a five-minute drive under the river, that is a genuine daily convenience. It requires proof of US citizenship.
In personWho: You
7
Understand what crossing the border means for your status
If you are on a temporary visa, a casual evening in Windsor is an international trip: you leave the US and are re-admitted on return, with a new I-94. Some categories can use automatic revalidation for short trips to Canada, some cannot, and a lapsed or single-entry visa can leave you unable to come back. Check your own category before the first casual crossing, not at the booth.
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
Proof of a Michigan residential address
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Proof of US citizenship, for an Enhanced Driver's License only

Things most newcomers don’t know

A night out in Windsor is an international trip, and it can go wrong.

Detroit is the one American city where crossing into Canada is a casual evening decision. For a US citizen that is a genuine perk. For a temporary visa holder it is a departure and a re-admission: you need a valid, unexpired, multiple-entry visa or a category that qualifies for automatic revalidation, and getting it wrong means being turned back at a booth with your possessions in another country. Check your category before you go, not at the bridge.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection

The Enhanced Driver's License is a real convenience here, not a novelty.

Michigan is one of only a handful of states issuing an EDL, and it works as a land and sea border document from Canada. In a metro where people cross for dinner, a concert or a cheaper flight out of Toronto, that means leaving the passport at home. It requires proof of US citizenship, so it is not an option for visa holders.

Source: Michigan Secretary of State / US CBP

Michigan does not give you a comfortable grace period.

Several states allow 30, 60 or 90 days to convert a licence. Michigan's framing is that you obtain a Michigan licence on becoming a resident, and branches run on appointments, so the practical answer is to book in your first week. Confirm the current requirement with the Secretary of State rather than assuming a deadline that applies elsewhere.

Source: Michigan Secretary of State

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. In a border city this distinction matters more than usual, because you may be admitted repeatedly and each admission sets a new date.

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

Common mistakes to avoid

Crossing to Windsor on a single-entry visa and being unable to return.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Turning up at the Secretary of State with the document set for the wrong licence class.
Assuming an Enhanced Driver's License is available to you as a visa holder — it requires US citizenship.
Assuming a 30- or 90-day licence grace period that Michigan does not offer.

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