Documents

Apply for these documents once you have settled in the U.S.

Form I-94

Form I-94, also known as your arrival/departure record, shows your legal status in the U.S., your date of entry and the date until which you are allowed to stay in the country. You will need to present this form when applying for a Social Security Number, employment authorization, driver’s license, health insurance and other benefits.

Print form I-94 for each member of your family here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home (section Get Most Recent I-94).

Social Security Card and Number (SSN)

Every resident in the U.S. has a Social Security Number (SSN). This number is used by various U.S. authorities and financial institutions to track your wages, earnings and credit history. An SSN is given to you for lifetime. Apply for an SSN for each member of your family, even newborn children.

There are two ways to apply for an SSN:

1. In the Social Security Administration (faster). Fill out an application for Social Security Card and bring it to your nearest office of the Social Security Administration along with your passport and form I-94. You will receive your Social Security Card about two weeks after you apply.
2. Via an application for Employment Authorization (slower). When filling out form I-765, Request for Employment Authorization, check boxes requesting a new Social Security card and consenting to transfer of your information to the Social Security Administration. Once USCIS processes your EAD application, it will pass your request to the the Social Security Administration who will mail you a Social Security card.

Regardless of how you apply, you should receive in the mail a Social Security Card with inscription “Valid for Work Only With DHS Authorization.” This inscription means that your Social Security Card alone is not evidence of your permission to work – you need to show your employer an additional document proving your permission to work: your Employment Authorization Document (EAD card).

Official policy: Enumeration of Ukrainian Arrivals

Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

To apply for an EAD, you fill out Form I-765.

The first EAD application based on the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole is free of charge, and the fasted way to apply is to fill out a free online application on the USCIS website. Online applications for EAD renewal or replacement, as well as applications for EAD based on TPS or other immigration categories cost $470. If you are eligible for a fee waiver based on low income or financial hardship, you can apply by mail with a fee waiver request, Form I-912.

To apply for an EAD:

1. Create a USCIS Online Account if you do not have one and want to apply online. Each applicant, even minor children, must have their own online account in order to apply for an EAD online.
2. Fill out form I-765 for each member of the family who needs an EAD. To apply online, from your online account, go to My Account or Account Actions menu and choose File a Form Online. To apply on paper, download a PDF from the I-765 page and fill it out on the computer or by hand.
   • Check box “1.a. Initial permission” if you previously did not have an EAD or had a card under a different category (for example, your previous card was based on (c)(11), humanitarian parole, and now you are applying under (a)(12), TPS). If your previous card was under the same category, choose “1.c. Renewal.”
   • If you are applying under the humanitarian parole status, including the Uniting for Ukraine program, pick Eligibility Category (c)(11) Ukraine Parole (box 27 on paper form). If you are applying under TPS, pick category (a)(12). For other immigration categories, refer to the chart.
   • If you are applying for another family member, indicate yourself as Preparer. You MUST list yourself as Preparer if you are filling out the form for a child under the age 14: children under the age of 14 are not allowed to file USCIS forms on their own.
   • Check option to receive a Social Security Card (boxes 14 and 15 on paper form) if you have no Social Security Card or your card says “Not Valid for Employment” on it and you want to change it to a card that is valid for work.
   • Your immigration status at your last arrival (box 24 on paper form) is “UHP” if you arrived under Uniting for Ukraine, “DT” if you arrived via Mexico, and “B2” if you arrived on a tourist visa.
   • Your current immigration status (box 25 on paper form) is indicated on your latest form I-94. If you have been approved for TPS, your current status is “TPS.”
3. Attach the following documents:
   • a passport-type photo (2 copies, if applying via mail);
   • a copy of your latest I-94 (front and back, if you have a white paper card from the border). If you did not receive an I-94 at the border, print it from website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search;
   • a copy of your prior EAD (if you have one) or a copy of the bio page of your travel passport. If you are applying for a child who is glued into your passport, attach that insert with the child’s photo;
   • if you are signing the form for a child under the age of 14, the child’s birth certificate with a certified translation.

If the application involves a fee and you cannot afford to pay the fee, you may apply by mail with a fee waiver request. Fill out I-912 – Request for Fee Waiver. Prepare one Form I-912 for the entire household. Put Form I-912 along with the required evidence in the envelope on top of the applications for all family members for whom you are asking the fee waiver. Evidence for Form I-912 may include:

• a benefits verification letter from the social services showing you are receiving means-tested benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps or cash assistance;
• your last year’s tax return showing income less than 150% of federal poverty level; or
• a detailed explanation of financial hardship with evidence in the form of paychecks, bank statements, proof of monthly expenses, etc.

Mail the I-765 application together with the fee waiver request to USCIS at the address appropriate for your immigration category:

• For category (c)(11) – humanitarian parole, mail to the appropriate address based on your state.
• For category (a)(12) – TPS, see mailing address in section Temporary Protected Status.

When USCIS receives your application, it will mail you a Receipt Notice. If you have filed the form online, you will typically receive a Receipt notice in the Documents section of your USCIS case within minutes of filing. If you filed the form by mail, you will receive Receipt Notice by mail within 2-4 weeks of filing. If you have not received a Receipt Notice within a month of submitting your application, call USCIS to make sure your application was received.

Driver’s License

Driver’s License is a primary identification document in the U.S. Apart from showing your permission to drive, it is commonly used whenever someone needs to verify your name or age. If you do not drive, instead of a driver’s license, you can obtain an identification (ID) card for identification purposes.

Different states have different laws about how long you can drive with a foreign driver’s license. For example, in California, if you are a visitor, you can drive with a foreign license for the duration of your visit, but if you are planning on becoming a resident (i.e. live in California), you must apply for a California driver’s license within 10 days. 

Even if you are not required to do so by law, having a U.S. driver’s license has advantages:

• It’s a more familiar form of identification for Americans than your foreign passport;
• You will likely qualify for lower rates of liability insurance (which is mandatory) with a U.S. driver’s license than with a foreign driver’s license.

If you apply for a U.S. driver’s license, you will have to pass a vision and possibly medical screening, a knowledge test (theoretical part), and a behind-the-wheel test (practical part).

Visit your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website to find out how to apply for a driver’s license or ID.

To obtain a driver’s license in California:

1. If you are applying for a driver’s license – prepare for your exam! Study Driver’s Handbook and take practice tests. DMV has handbooks in different languages, including Russian.
2. Fill out an online application. Print out the email with your Confirmation Number.
3. Pick the closest DMV location and make an appointment if available. If you come without an appointment, arrive early, before opening hours, to avoid the line. You can also take the knowledge test online.
4. Prepare your
   • passport;
   • I-94; 
   • Social Security Number;
   • a document proving your CA residency (rental agreement, utility bill in your name, letter from the landlord – see full list of acceptable documents);
   • your Confirmation Number; and
   • license fee: $45 for a driver’s license, or $39 for an ID.
5. At the DMV, your fingerprints and photo will be taken. If you are applying for a driver’s license, be prepared to submit to the vision exam and take the written knowledge test at the DMV, if you haven’t passed it online.
6. Sign up for and pass the behind-the-wheel test (for a driver’s license). In California, you take the behind-the-wheel test in your own car with an officer who sits as a passenger and scores your performance. You must be accompanied to the behind-the-wheel test by a person with a valid California driver’s license.

U.S. Bank Account

A U.S. bank account is necessary for depositing job income, payments for some services, etc. You can open an account in a brick-and-mortar bank branch or in a bank that operates online only: over the Internet and by phone.

• Bank accounts come in two primary types: checking, which allows you to write unlimited paper checks and savings, which pays interest with a limited number of transactions per month allowed. Brick-and-mortar banks charge monthly service fees, which can be waived if you have a certain minimum amount of money in the account.
• Money withdrawals and deposits can be made in ATMs, and brick-and-mortar banks typically charge a transaction fee ($2-$5) which is added to the other bank’s fee if you withdraw money in another bank’s ATM.
• Banks provide monthly statements sent by mail (which can cost extra money) or online. A bank statement with your address serves as а proof of residence.

We recommend the following banking options:

• Brick-and-mortar bank: Bank of America. It’s easy to open an account. Even SSN is not required: only a Ukrainian passport and a secondary identification document with your name, for example, a Ukrainian debit card.
• Online bank: Re:start. Mobile phone-based banking. Accounts can be opened with I-94 and an alien number. No service fees.