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 a Tucson 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 far 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, and nobody should be charging you one.
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 and landlords. It confers no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Understand Arizona's residency definition rather than looking for a deadline
Arizona publishes no 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 — with no grace period to point at.
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, usually much sooner. Tucson has several, and for a newcomer whose time is worth more than the surcharge it is normally the better trade.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1–2
6
Ask for a Travel ID if you want the REAL ID version
REAL ID enforcement began on 7 May 2025 and hardened on 1 February 2026: a non-compliant licence is no longer accepted on its own at the checkpoint, and TSA routes those travellers into an additional screening process for a fee, which is neither guaranteed to clear you nor a substitute for the card. Treat a compliant licence or your passport as the only dependable way to board. Arizona's REAL ID-compliant card is branded the Travel ID and needs the full document set. Your passport also works, so this is a convenience decision rather than a necessity.
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 Tucson address for MVD

Things most newcomers don’t know

Living an hour from the border means interior checkpoints are part of ordinary travel.

US Border Patrol operates permanent interior checkpoints on the highways north of the frontier — on I-19 from Nogales, on I-10 east of Tucson and on SR 86 west. They sit well inside the country and stop everyone heading north, not just people who crossed. Driving to Bisbee, Ajo or the Chiricahuas routinely means answering a citizenship question. Carry your immigration documents in the car on any trip in southern Arizona, because the one time you are asked will be the time you left them at home.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — Tucson Sector

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 at resident tuition rates, or take a state licence. Several of those happen in your first week without feeling like a declaration of residency, and the licence obligation follows immediately.

Source: Arizona MVD — new to Arizona

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. 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.
Driving south of Tucson without immigration documents in the car.
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.