New arrivals: first 30 days checklist

This page is for people newly arriving in the USA: those arriving with immigrant visas (green cards), those who will stay for a long time with work, student, or exchange visas, and their families. You will find, in order, the tasks that need to be completed during the first 30 days, including the agency to visit at each step, its phone number, and its link. Most of these steps are not required for a short tourist visit; checking your I-94 is still important.

1. Open your record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov using "Get Most Recent I-94".
2. Check your class of admission (e.g., F1, H1B) and the "admit until" date.
3. Print the record or save it to your phone. If you will stay for 30 days or longer, people age 18 and older must carry their registration document (including the I-94) at all times.
4. If there is an error, contact a Deferred Inspection office or a CBP office at an international airport. For the office list, see 1.9 Entering the USA.
5. CBP Information Center: +1 877 227 5511 from the USA, +1 202 325 8000 from outside the USA · Monday–Friday 08:30–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time)

• Foreign nationals age 14 and older must register and provide fingerprints if they will stay in the USA for 30 days or longer.
• Those who entered with a visa and received an I-94 are already considered registered. Green card holders and those with employment authorization (EAD) are also registered.
• Those who are not registered must submit Form G-325R through a USCIS online account before 30 days have passed. No biometric fee is charged for this registration.
• Children who turn 14 in the USA must register again within 30 days after their birthday. Children with green cards do this using Form I-90.
• People age 18 and older must carry their registration document at all times. The penalty for noncompliance is a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
• Registration is not an immigration status and does not grant work authorization.

• USCIS Immigrant Fee: $235 (USCIS fee schedule, October 7, 2026 edition). If you did not pay before traveling, USCIS will send you a payment notice.
• The green card will not be mailed until the fee is paid. The temporary I-551 stamp in your passport is proof of permanent residence for 1 year from the date of entry.
• If the card does not arrive within 90 days after payment or entry, use the USCIS online help form.
• The fee can be paid by credit card, debit card, or from a U.S. bank account (ACH).
• If you requested an SSN on the immigrant visa form (DS-260), your Social Security card will be prepared automatically and mailed to the address you gave CBP. If it does not arrive within 3 weeks after arrival, contact SSA.
• For rights and obligations, see 3.1 What is a green card?.

• Those applying for a green card (I-485) from inside the USA: if you requested an SSN card on the form, it will be mailed to the address on your USCIS application once the application is approved. This option is no longer available on the employment authorization (I-765) application: the currently accepted 08/21/25 edition has only the "SSN (if known)" field. Once your employment authorization card (EAD) arrives, apply for an SSN at an SSA office.
• Others with work authorization (e.g., H-1B, J-1, and F-1 students working on campus): apply at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office. Bring documents showing your immigration status and work authorization. Students should also bring their I-20.
• Those without work authorization generally cannot obtain an SSN. Use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for tax purposes. See 15.2 Tax identification number: SSN or ITIN.
• SSA contact:
  • Phone: +1 800 772 1213
  • Find an office: SSA office locator

• Foreign nationals in the USA must report their new address to USCIS within 10 days of every move.
• This obligation also applies to visa holders. Holders of A and G visas and those admitted under the Visa Waiver Program are exempt.
• The fastest way is through a USCIS online account (uscis.gov/addresschange). Paper Form AR-11 may also be mailed; the fee is $0.
• Failure to report is a crime: a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. A person without a reasonable excuse or who cannot prove the failure was unintentional may be deported.
• USCIS Contact Center: +1 800 375 5283 (TTY +1 800 767 1833) · Monday–Friday 08:00–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time) · From outside the USA +1 212 620 3418

• Under federal rules, banks may accept one of the following from a non-U.S. customer instead of an SSN: a tax identification number (ITIN), passport number and issuing country, foreign identification card number, or the number of another official photo ID.
• Banks may impose their own additional requirements. Ask which documents they require before you go.
• Check with BankFind whether the bank is covered by federal deposit insurance (FDIC). Deposits are insured up to at least $250,000 at each insured bank.
• FDIC: +1 877 275 3342 (1-877-ASK-FDIC)

• Moving to the USA from abroad creates a 60-day special enrollment period in the government insurance Marketplace. The regular enrollment period is November 1–January 15 each year.
• Lawfully present immigrants, including those with valid visas, may purchase Marketplace plans.
• Starting January 1, 2027, only green card holders, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants will be eligible for premium assistance. Visa holders may purchase plans but cannot receive assistance.
• Medicaid and CHIP have a five-year waiting period for most green card holders. See 16.3 Medicaid and CHIP.
• Marketplace help line: +1 800 318 2596

• A driver’s license and state identification card are obtained from your state’s department of motor vehicles (DMV). Rules vary by state. You can find your state’s DMV through USA.gov.
• Since May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant ID or passport is required for domestic flights. A passenger without acceptable identification must pay an additional $45 fee.
• A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license issued to people with temporary status is marked "temporary." It cannot extend beyond your authorized stay; if there is no end date, it is valid for no more than 1 year.
• Students should also bring their I-20 to their driver’s license application.

• Every child in the USA may enroll in public elementary and secondary school regardless of the child’s or family’s immigration status.
• The school may request proof that you live in the school district, such as a bill or lease.
• The school may not ask about your or your child’s citizenship or immigration status to prove residence.
• Lack of a birth certificate, or having a foreign birth certificate, is not a barrier to enrollment.
• If the school asks for the child’s SSN, it must tell you that providing it is optional. It may not ask for your SSN.

• Green card holders, refugees, parolees, asylum seekers, and undocumented immigrants must register.
• Those in temporary status with a valid visa do not register.
• Registration is completed through sss.gov.
• The agency where you apply decides questions about rights and applications related to registration.

• Address declaration: This is required to be entered in the overseas voter registry and to ensure your address is correct for consular procedures.
  • Make an appointment with the consulate in your jurisdiction through konsolosluk.gov.tr and apply in person.
  • In the USA, an address declaration may also be submitted by mail.
  • Form: Address declaration form for citizens living abroad (PDF)
  • You can view your registered address through e-Devlet address inquiry.
• Residence certificate (for GSS debt): To have the compulsory General Health Insurance debt incurred in Türkiye during the period you live in the USA cancelled, obtain a "Residence Certificate" from the consulate and submit it to the Social Security Institution.
  • At the Consulate General in New York, applications may be made in person or by mail; the 2026 fee is $18.70.
• Consular Call Center (24/7): From the USA and Canada +1 888 566 7656, from other countries +90 312 292 29 29

• Emergency (fire, crime, medical emergency): 911. Call only for genuine emergencies. If you do not speak English, say which language you speak.
• Poison Control: +1 800 222 1222 · 24/7, free
• Turkish Consular Call Center: +1 888 566 7656
• USCIS, SSA, and CBP numbers appear in the steps above.

• Never opening the I-94 and noticing the wrong date months later.
• Failing to report your address to USCIS within 10 days after moving.
• Waiting for the green card without paying the green card fee ($235).
• Not carrying your registration document (I-94 or green card).
• Missing the 60-day health insurance enrollment opportunity.
• Paying strangers for an "SSN" or "fast green card" offer. See 1.12 Scam warnings.

• I came with a visa. Do I need to register using G-325R? No. If you entered with a visa and received an I-94, you are registered. Carrying your I-94 is sufficient.
• Is changing my address subject to a fee? No. The fee for Form AR-11 is $0.
• When will my green card arrive? It will arrive by mail after the Immigrant Fee is paid. If it does not arrive within 90 days, use the USCIS online help form.
• I do not have an SSN. Can I open a bank account? Federal rules allow identity verification with a passport number as well. Ask about the bank’s additional requirements in advance.
• Is an SSN required to enroll my child in school? No. Providing an SSN is optional.
• Must I go to the consulate to submit an address declaration? In the USA, an address declaration may be submitted in person by appointment or by mail.

• I-94 record
• USCIS online account and change of address
• Form AR-11 (PDF)
• Registration obligation and G-325R
• Paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee
• Form W-7 – ITIN application (PDF)
• SSA office locator
• Selective Service registration
• FDIC BankFind
• New immigrant guide M-618 (PDF, USCIS)