Your first year in the United States, one clear step at a time.
Plain-English guides for people moving to the U.S. from anywhere in the world — built on official sources, and dated so you know when they were last checked. A community of people who've been there is coming next.
Start with your first 30 daysSee all guidesHow we check our facts
Where are you on the way?
The guides follow the order things usually happen after a move.
Before you move
Documents, money and what to sort out before you leave.
7 guides
Your first week
Arriving, staying safe and the first things to set up.
15 guides
Your first 30 days
A place to live, money, getting around and work.
40 guides
Your first 90 days
Health care, taxes, school — and finding your people.
9 guides
Your first year
Credit, driving and starting to feel at home.
13 guides
Longer term
Next steps, explained from official sources.
7 guides
Start here
A few guides to read first, in the order you're likely to need them. Pick the tab that fits you.
First steps for everyone
Before you move to the U.S.: a pre-departure checklist
What to sort out before you leave for the United States — documents, money, phone, health and safety — with a guide for each step.
Moving to the U.S.: your first 30 days, step by step
A step-by-step checklist for your first weeks in the United States, in the order things usually happen — with a guide for each step.
Who to call in the U.S.: 911, 988, 211 and other helplines
When to call 911, 988 or 211, what the 911 call-taker will ask, and the U.S. helplines for poisoning, abuse and trafficking — many with interpreters.
Scams that target newcomers to the U.S. — and how to avoid them
Fake immigration helpers, government impersonators, rental and job scams: the warning signs, what to do if you already paid, and where to report.
How to get a Social Security number as a newcomer
Who can get a Social Security number, the ways to apply, what SSA asks you to bring, how long the card takes, and how to protect your number.
For international students
Arriving in the U.S.: how to find and check your I-94 record
What the I-94 is, how to get yours from CBP's official website or free app, what to check on it, and which office fixes a mistake.
Spouses of visa holders: work, study and daily life
For H-4, L-2, E, F-2 and J-2 spouses: how your status depends on your spouse's, what the work and study rules say, and first steps for daily life.
Keeping your F-1 status: the basics
What keeping F-1 status means day to day: your DSO, full-time study, valid documents, reporting changes, travel, work and planning your next step.
International students: your first 30 days in the U.S.
Your first month as an F, M or J student: check in with your school, check your I-94, keep your status safe, and avoid scams aimed at students.
Work permits explained: what an EAD is and how renewals work now
What an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is, who needs one, how to apply with Form I-765, and how renewals work since October 30, 2025.
For people coming to work
Work visa types explained: an official overview
The main U.S. temporary work visa categories (H-1B, H-2, L-1, O-1, TN, E, R, P), who files what, recent H-1B changes and job-offer scams.
Arriving in the U.S.: how to find and check your I-94 record
What the I-94 is, how to get yours from CBP's official website or free app, what to check on it, and which office fixes a mistake.
Spouses of visa holders: work, study and daily life
For H-4, L-2, E, F-2 and J-2 spouses: how your status depends on your spouse's, what the work and study rules say, and first steps for daily life.
Your paycheck: W-4, withholding and Social Security taxes
Fill out Form W-4, read your pay stub, understand Social Security and Medicare taxes, and check your W-2, including the rules for nonresidents.
Work permits explained: what an EAD is and how renewals work now
What an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is, who needs one, how to apply with Form I-765, and how renewals work since October 30, 2025.
For families
Enrolling your child in a U.S. public school
How to find your school district, which documents schools usually ask for, what you don't have to provide, and English learner support.
Raising kids in the U.S.: child care, Head Start, first steps
First steps for newcomer parents: car seats, a safe home, vaccines, WIC, finding licensed child care, and free Head Start programs.
Food assistance for families (WIC, SNAP): an overview
WIC, SNAP, school meals, food banks and 211: who each program is for, how to apply through your state, and what changed for non-citizens in 2025.
Joining a spouse in the U.S.: first steps after arrival
Joined your spouse on an IR1, CR1, F2A or K-1 visa? First steps: your green card, address, Social Security, work, the K-1 90 days and 2-year cards.
ITIN explained: what it is, who needs one, and how to apply
What an ITIN is, who needs one instead of a Social Security number, how to apply with Form W-7, and what an ITIN does not do.
For new permanent residents
Selective Service registration for immigrant men
Which immigrant men must register with Selective Service, how to register and get proof, why it matters for citizenship, and the December 2026 change.
New green card holders: your first 90 days
Your new green card: what to check when it arrives, your rights and responsibilities, the 10-day address rule, Selective Service and first steps.
Paying for college as an immigrant: federal student aid basics
Who counts as an eligible noncitizen for federal student aid, how the free FAFSA works for immigrant families, other aid, and scams to avoid.
Dual-status tax year: the year you arrive
What a dual-status tax year is, when your U.S. tax residency starts, which return the IRS asks for, its limits, the choices and where to get help.
Foreign bank accounts: FBAR and FATCA basics
Still have accounts back home? What the FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) and Form 8938 are, who files, the $10,000 rule, deadlines and missed years.
For refugees and asylees
Arriving in the U.S.: how to find and check your I-94 record
What the I-94 is, how to get yours from CBP's official website or free app, what to check on it, and which office fixes a mistake.
Refugee and asylee resettlement services: where to find help
Who helps refugees and asylees in the first days, what ORR programs offer and for how long, how to reach your state's refugee office, and what comes next.
Food assistance for families (WIC, SNAP): an overview
WIC, SNAP, school meals, food banks and 211: who each program is for, how to apply through your state, and what changed for non-citizens in 2025.
Selective Service registration for immigrant men
Which immigrant men must register with Selective Service, how to register and get proof, why it matters for citizenship, and the December 2026 change.
Work permits explained: what an EAD is and how renewals work now
What an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is, who needs one, how to apply with Form I-765, and how renewals work since October 30, 2025.
Rules that change by state
Most first steps are the same everywhere. A few, like your driver's license and state taxes, depend on where you live. The 18 states in teal have their own guides, and we add more as each one is checked.
How these guides are made
Official sources, where you need them
Facts about documents, money, health and immigration come from official sources such as USCIS, the IRS and the FTC, linked in the step they support.
A date on every guide
Each guide shows when it was last checked against those sources, and when it will be reviewed again.
Information, not legal advice
We explain how things generally work and point you to authorized help — often free — for questions about your own situation.
Two pages to keep close
The pre-departure checklist
What to sort out before you leave — documents, money, phone, health and safety — with a guide for each step.
Official U.S. resources
Government websites and helplines for immigration, taxes, money, health, work, housing, ID and English, in one short list.