GlobeQuest
Legal & ID🇺🇸 Minneapolis, United States

Status, Social Security number and a Minnesota licence for anyone

There is no post-arrival registration in the US: your I-94 record is your status. In the first weeks you need a Social Security number if work-authorised, or an ITIN if not. Minnesota's specific features are at the licensing counter: since October 2023 the state issues a standard, non-REAL-ID licence to residents regardless of immigration status, and separately it offers an Enhanced Driver's License that works as a border document for driving into Canada. Choosing between standard, REAL ID and Enhanced is a decision you make once, at the counter, so decide before you go.

Total cost
A Social Security card is free and an ITIN application is free. Minnesota licence and ID fees are published by Driver and Vehicle Services and differ between standard, REAL ID and Enhanced classes. USCIS petition fees changed substantially in 2024 and 2025 — use the official fee calculator rather than any secondary source.
Time needed
The Social Security card usually arrives within a few weeks. Licensing timing is a function of exam-station appointment availability in the metro, which for road tests can run weeks.
Validity
Your permitted stay is the 'admit until' date on the I-94, not the expiry printed in your visa. Minnesota licences for temporary visa holders are limited to the period of authorised status, so a short status means a short licence and another appointment later.
Verified
August 2026
Medium confidence·Non-US citizens moving to Minneapolis. Immigration is federal — Minnesota issues no residence permits. Minnesota does, however, issue driver's licences and state IDs regardless of immigration status, and it is one of only a handful of states issuing an Enhanced Driver's License for land and sea crossings into Canada.

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

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Download your I-94 in the first few days

    It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, Driver and Vehicle Services and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.

    OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
  2. 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. 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. 4

    Decide which class of licence you want before the appointment

    Minnesota offers three: a standard licence, a REAL ID-compliant licence, and an Enhanced Driver's License. The document requirements differ for each and you cannot upgrade on the day if you brought the wrong pack.

    OnlineWho: YouBefore booking
  5. 5

    Book the Driver and Vehicle Services appointment early

    Metro-area exam stations book out, particularly for road tests. New residents are expected to convert within about 60 days, so the appointment calendar is what actually binds.

    OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
  6. 6

    Consider the Enhanced Driver's License if you are a US citizen

    Minnesota is one of only a handful of states issuing one. It is REAL ID-valid for domestic flights and additionally works as a border document for land and sea entry from Canada, so with the Canadian border four hours north it saves carrying a passport on a weekend trip. It requires proof of US citizenship, so it is not available to visa holders.

    In personWho: You
  7. 7

    Know that a standard licence is available regardless of status

    Since October 2023 Minnesota has issued standard driver's licences to residents without regard to immigration status. Such a licence is not REAL ID-compliant and cannot be used to board a domestic flight, but it is a valid Minnesota licence for driving and for most everyday identification.

    In personWho: 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 Minnesota 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

Minnesota issues a driver's licence regardless of immigration status.

Since the Driver's Licenses for All law took effect in October 2023, a Minnesota resident can obtain a standard licence without proving lawful status. It is not REAL ID-compliant, so it will not board a domestic flight — but it is a genuine licence, and for families with mixed status it changes daily life materially. Very few states do this and almost no general relocation guide mentions it.

Source: Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services

The Enhanced Driver's License is a real convenience with Canada four hours away.

Minnesota is one of only a handful of states issuing an EDL, which doubles as a border document for land and sea crossings from Canada. If you are a US citizen who will drive to Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, it means not carrying a passport. It requires proof of US citizenship, so visa holders should not plan around it.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection / Minnesota DVS

Decide your licence class before you turn up.

Standard, REAL ID and Enhanced each need a different document set. Bringing the wrong one means rebooking into an appointment calendar that runs weeks in the metro. Read the DVS document guide and assemble against the specific class you want.

Source: Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services

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 plan around the visa foil and overstay without realising it, which has consequences well beyond the trip.

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

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
  • Turning up at DVS 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 standard Minnesota licence will get you through airport security. It will not; carry your passport.
  • Arriving without certified English translations of non-English identity documents.

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

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Sources

Last verified August 2026. Government processes change — always confirm critical details against the official source before acting.

More on settling into Minneapolis

Driving
Sixty days, a road test, and driving through a Minnesota winter
Banking
Opening a bank account and building US credit from zero
Health
MNsure, Medical Assistance and the MinnesotaCare gap-filler
Telecom
Getting a US phone number with no credit history
Tax
Four brackets to 9.85%, no tax on clothes, and a renter's refund
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