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 Washington address for the Department of Licensing and most accounts

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 Department of Licensing and SSA will ask for. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website. Check the date immediately — errors are common and far 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 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 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
Apply for the WA Cares exemption if you are on a temporary visa
This is the single most valuable Washington-specific action in your first month. Workers on non-immigrant visas can apply to the Employment Security Department for a conditional exemption from the 0.58% WA Cares payroll deduction. You must apply yourself and give your employer the approval letter — the deduction continues until you do.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
5
Get a Washington licence or ID within 30 days
Ask whether you qualify for an Enhanced Driver Licence — it satisfies REAL ID and works at the Canadian land border, which is genuinely useful here. Eligibility is limited to US citizens, so most newcomers will get a standard REAL ID-compliant licence instead.
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 Washington residence for the Department of Licensing

Things most newcomers don’t know

Non-immigrant visa holders can exempt themselves from WA Cares, and almost nobody tells them.

Washington deducts 0.58% of gross wages, uncapped, to fund a state long-term-care benefit. Workers on non-immigrant visas may apply for a conditional exemption, on the reasoning that they may never be resident long enough to claim it. The application is yours to make and the deduction runs until you hand your employer the approval letter — so every month of delay is money gone.

Source: WA Cares Fund — exemptions

Washington is one of five states issuing an Enhanced Driver Licence.

With New York, Michigan, Minnesota and Vermont, Washington offers an EDL that satisfies REAL ID for domestic flights and serves as a land and sea border document for Canada and Mexico. With Vancouver two hours north this saves carrying a passport for weekend trips. Eligibility is limited to US citizens, so it is a route for naturalised residents rather than visa holders.

Source: TSA — REAL ID acceptable identification

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

Not applying for the WA Cares exemption while on a temporary visa, and paying 0.58% of gross wages for a benefit you may never claim.
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.
Assuming you qualify for an Enhanced licence when it is restricted to US citizens.

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