Where to start after you arrive: SSN, bank account, phone, housing, driving licence and insurance.
A week-by-week plan for the first month in the USA: SSN (also with an immigrant visa), account without SSN, REAL ID and driver's license, housing, insurance (60 days on Marketplace, changes from 2027), work and I-9, ITIN, credit history, Odyseusz, and emergency contact numbers for Polish consulates.
The Social Security Number (SSN) is a required document for legal work, bank account opening, tax filing, and many other formalities in the USA.
Account without SSN – ITIN, PSFCU (Polish bank), Chase, BoA, Wells Fargo. Step by step with a passport.
Prepaid plans without contracts: T-Mobile, Mint, Cricket, Visible, Tello – price comparison 2026, coverage.
How to rent an apartment in the USA without a credit history: what landlords check, guarantors, private owners, room rentals, documents, and explanation letters. Security deposit limits in NY, NJ, MA, MI, and Florida, rights after being denied due to a report (FTC), and signs of fraud.
Secured card, Self Lender, Petal, Experian Boost – how to reach 700+ in 12 months.
A secured credit card is the simplest way to build credit history in the USA – you deposit a refundable deposit ($200-2000) which becomes your credit limit, use it like a normal card, and every timely payment is reported to credit bureaus.
Three paths to insurance before age 65: employer plan, Marketplace, and Medicaid, with subsidies in 2026 and 2027, enrollment for 2027 (November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027), and changes for immigrants from the law enacted in July 2025.
You can drive in the USA on a Polish driver's license as a visitor, preferably with an international driver's license issued by the county office (35 PLN, Geneva model); upon residency, you have 30–90 days to obtain a state driver's license, usually passing all tests; deadlines, test languages, and rules in NY, NJ, IL, CA, FL, TX, and MI.
The procedure for obtaining a US driver license: documents, costs, theoretical and practical exams, and whether a Polish driver's license is sufficient.
ITIN is a nine-digit IRS tax number for individuals without the right to an SSN; we explain who needs it, what documents the IRS accepts, how to submit Form W-7 by mail or in person (TAC, VITA, CAA agent), when the number expires, and what ITIN does not provide, including changes to the Child Tax Credit starting in 2025.
Your first tax return in the USA – when to file (April 15), which form to use (1040 vs 1040-NR), what deductions are available, how to file for free, and what to do if you only have an ITIN.
Free account at my.uscis.gov: registration, mandatory verification code, 5 security questions, linking paper case with receipt number, online forms and fees from G-1055 (10/16/26), address change within 10 days, Contact Center, and fraud protection.
Duplicate SSN cards, IRS installment payments, and N-400 citizenship applications – all online. How Login.gov (requires SSN) and ID.me (also works from Poland) function, what has disappeared in 2026 (Direct File eliminated, Polish IRS pages removed), and where you can still receive service in Polish (SSA with free translators).