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
Proof of authorised presence and an Arizona address for MVD

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your class of admission and your 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, MVD and the Social Security Administration will ask for. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website — check the details immediately, since corrections are easier early.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then file Form SS-5 in person
The Social Security Administration verifies your status against DHS records that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually ends in being sent away. Bring passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee for the card.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
File IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN if you are not work-authorised
Dependants and others without work permission cannot get an SSN. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number covers federal and Arizona tax filing and is accepted by many banks. It confers no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Understand Arizona's residency definition rather than looking for a deadline
Arizona does not publish a 30-day rule. You are a resident if you work in the state other than seasonally, remain for seven months or more in a calendar year, register to vote, place children in school without paying non-resident tuition, or obtain a state licence or benefit. Once you are a resident, an Arizona licence is required.
OnlineWho: You
5
Book an MVD appointment or use an authorised third-party office
Arizona MVD takes appointments and also licenses private third-party providers who handle many transactions for an added fee, often much sooner. For a newcomer whose time is worth more than the surcharge, the third-party route is frequently the better trade.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1–2
6
Ask for a Travel ID if you want the REAL ID version
Since 7 May 2025 a non-compliant state licence cannot be used to board a domestic flight. Arizona's REAL ID-compliant card is branded the Travel ID and requires the full document set. Your passport also works, so this is a convenience decision.
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
Employment authorisation document or approval notice, where applicable
Two proofs of Arizona address for MVD

Things most newcomers don’t know

Arizona defines residency rather than giving you a deadline, and the definition is broad.

Most states say 30, 60 or 90 days. Arizona says you are a resident if you work here other than seasonally, stay seven months or more in a calendar year, register to vote, enrol children in school at resident rates, or take a state licence. Several of those happen in your first week without you thinking of them as a declaration of residency — and the licence obligation follows immediately, with no grace period to point at.

Source: Arizona MVD — new to Arizona

A standard Arizona licence lasts until you are 65, which is the longest in the country.

Arizona issues licences valid to age 65, requiring only a new photograph every twelve years. For a citizen that is a remarkable convenience. For a temporary visa holder it is irrelevant, because your card is capped at your authorised stay — so you renew far more often than the person beside you in the queue, and each renewal needs current immigration documents.

Source: Arizona MVD — renew your licence

The visa sticker's 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- and ten-year visas routinely assume that is the length of their residence, never check the record, and fall out of status without noticing. The I-94 'admit until' date is the only one that governs.

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

Applying for a Social Security number too early is the classic wasted trip.

SSA verifies status against DHS records that take one to two weeks to sync after entry. Turning up on day two normally means being told to come back, and in summer that is a wasted trip across a very hot metro. Waiting until about day ten turns two visits into one and nothing else meaningfully depends on the number before then.

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.
Looking for an Arizona day-count deadline that does not exist, and becoming a resident without noticing.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Paying anyone a fee for a Social Security card — it is free.
Assuming a temporary-status licence lasts to age 65 like a standard Arizona one. It does not.

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