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 an 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).

If you cannot find your or your family member’s I-94 a week after arrival by entering the traveler’s personal information and passport, that means the CBP officer that paroled this person may have made a typo. Contact your nearest CBP Deferred Inspection unit with the travel passport and travel authorization for the person whose I-94 you cannot find and ask them to find and restore it.

Social Security Card and Number (SSN)

Every U.S. resident has a Social Security Number (SSN). This number is used by various U.S. authorities and financial institutions to check your identity, 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, as soon as possible.

You can request an SSN via your application for an employment authorization document (EAD), form I-765, Request for Employment Authorization, which you fill out on the USCIS website. 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 (which may take a month or longer), it will pass your request to the Social Security Administration who will mail you a Social Security Card.

If you have not received your Social Security Card in the mail within two weeks of receiving your EAD, visit your closest office of Social Security Administration, and apply or an SSN by presenting your EAD card.

You will receive 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 EAD card to your employer as evidence of your permission to work.

Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

To apply for an EAD, fill out Form I-765. The fees for the EAD application are as follows:

• First EAD based on initial UHP parole (online application): $560. No fee waiver available.
• EAD based on re-parole (online application): $750. Reduced fee for low-income applicants (application by mail): $280.
• First EAD based on TPS (online application): $1030. Reduced fee for low-income applicants: $560 (application by mail).
• EAD extension based on TPS (online application): $750. Reduced fee for low-income applicants (application by mail): $280.

If you are applying for a reduced fee based on low income, you must apply by mail enclosing a fee waiver request, Form I-912, and form G-1450 or G-1650 authorizing USCIS to charge your credit card or bank account for the reduced fee amount. See Requesting a Partial Fee Waiver section below for more information.

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.

Requesting a Partial Fee Waiver

If you cannot afford to pay the full fee, you may apply by mail with a partial fee waiver request. Fill out one form I-912 – Request for Fee Waiver for the entire household. Also fill out form G-1450 or G-1650 authorizing USCIS to charge your credit card or bank account for the reduced fee multiplied by the number of household members requesting EAD. Put Form I-912 along with form G-1450/G-1650 and the evidence supporting the fee waiver request 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 all forms and supporting evidence 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;
   • 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);
   • I-94, EAD, notice of TPS approval or another proof of lawful status. If you don’t have a status, do not provide any immigration documents and request an AB-60 driver’s license;
   • 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.

Essential Support for Ukrainians: Agencies, Benefits, and First Steps in the USA

See a webinar for Ukrainian refugees (video recording): basic overview of various types of refugee and state agencies, tips for effective engagement, expectations for the duration of benefit and assistance processes, and additional resources for the first few months after arrival (slides: English, Ukrainian, Russian).