Moving to the USA — your first 30 days, in the right order

Request a Social Security number on your visa application if your category allows it. Immigrant visa applicants and many people applying for an Employment Authorization Document can check a box on the application, and the card is then mailed to your US address without a separate SSA visit. This is the single most useful pre-arrival step and most people do not know it exists.

Gather documents. Bring originals of your passport, birth certificate, marriage or name-change certificates, driver's license and driving record, academic transcripts and diplomas, employment references, vaccination records and any medical history. Certified translations are far easier to obtain before you leave, and US schools will want vaccination records specifically.

Get a letter from your current bank confirming your account history and standing, and a copy of your credit report from your home country. Neither transfers to a US credit file, but some banks and landlords will consider them, and some card issuers aimed at newcomers accept foreign credit data.

Ask your car insurer for a letter confirming your claims history and years of licensed driving. Several US insurers will apply a discount for a documented clean record abroad, and this can be worth hundreds of dollars a year.

Check whether your employer offers health insurance and when the enrollment window opens. Arriving without coverage and missing the window is the most expensive avoidable mistake on this list.

An address, even a temporary one, unblocks most things. A short-term rental, corporate housing or a friend's address will do for the initial paperwork.

Get a US phone number on day one. Prepaid SIMs are available at airports, supermarkets, pharmacies and carrier stores with no credit check and no contract. The three major networks are Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, and dozens of smaller carriers resell on them at much lower prices. Coverage differs meaningfully in rural areas — check the FCC's national broadband and mobile map for where you will actually live.

Open a bank account. Most banks require a Social Security number or ITIN, but not all — several major banks and many credit unions will open an account for a new arrival with a passport, visa and proof of address, and some accept a foreign passport alone. Ask specifically about accounts for newcomers or international students.

Credit unions are worth considering. They are member-owned nonprofits, generally have lower fees and better rates than banks, and are frequently more flexible with newcomers. Deposits are insured to the same $250,000 limit through the NCUA as banks are through the FDIC.

Set up direct deposit with your employer as soon as the account exists. Paper checks are still common in the US and slower.

Apply for a Social Security number about ten days after arriving, unless you requested one on your visa application. Waiting lets your arrival record propagate from the Department of Homeland Security to the SSA, so the electronic verification succeeds. Take your passport, visa, I-94 arrival record and any Employment Authorization Document to a Social Security office with Form SS-5.

You can start work before the card arrives. Form I-9 must be completed within three business days of your first day and verifies work authorization, not an SSN — the employer records that one has been applied for.

Sort health insurance. If your employer offers it, enroll during your new-hire window, which is typically 30 days. If not, moving to the US is a qualifying life event that opens a 60-day special enrollment period on the ACA Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, where premium subsidies are income-based.

Compare on the out-of-pocket maximum rather than the premium. That number is your worst-case annual exposure and is what actually matters if something goes wrong.

If your income is low, check Medicaid eligibility in your state — it has no enrollment window and you can apply at any time. Eligibility varies substantially by state.

Note that most lawfully present immigrants have a five-year waiting period for Medicaid, with exceptions including refugees, asylees and children in many states.

Open a secured credit card. You deposit $200 to $500, which becomes the limit, and the card reports to all three bureaus exactly like an unsecured one. Use under 10 percent of the limit and pay in full every month. After six to twelve months many issuers convert it to unsecured and refund the deposit. This is the cheapest way to start a credit file.

Deal with your driver's license. Most states require you to obtain a state license within 30 to 90 days of establishing residency. Some states accept a straight transfer from a foreign license, most require a written knowledge test, and some require a road test. Check your state's DMV, and note that a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport is now required for domestic air travel.

Start the rental search. Landlords typically want photo ID, proof of income at two and a half to three times the monthly rent, a credit check and previous landlord references. With no US credit history, expect to be asked for a larger deposit, several months' rent upfront, or a co-signer. An employer letter confirming salary and start date helps substantially.

Set up utilities. Electricity, gas, water, internet and sometimes trash are separate accounts. Without a credit history most utilities will require a deposit, typically refunded after twelve months of on-time payment.

Register to vote if you are a US citizen. If you are not, do not register — it is a serious immigration offense, and voter registration is frequently offered alongside a driver's license application, so read the form carefully.

Understand your paycheck. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are withheld automatically, and most states withhold state income tax as well. Complete Form W-4 accurately so the withholding is roughly right; too little means a bill in April.