Documents for Ukrainians in the U.S.: SSN, Driver’s License and REAL ID, CDL, I-94, Change of Address and Registration

Apply at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office after you get your EAD.

In the past you could order an SSN card by checking a box on the I-765. The current edition of the form (08/21/25) has no such item, only a field to “enter your SSN if you have one.” So:

1. Wait for your EAD card (C11, A12, C19, or C08).
2. Fill out the SS-5 application (you can start online at ssa.gov) and book an appointment at the nearest SSA office.
3. Bring originals: EAD, I-94, international passport; if needed, a birth certificate.

The card is sent by mail. The service itself is free, so do not pay middlemen to “speed it up.”

It means the SSN card itself does not give you the right to work: you can work only with valid authorization from DHS, that is, with an EAD.

For Form I-9 this card does not work as a List C document: USCIS states directly that restricted SSN cards are not accepted. So you show your employer the EAD (List A). The SSN number itself is for life and does not change, even when your EAD expires: you need it for taxes, banking, and credit history. When you get a green card, you can order a new card without the restriction from SSA.

Through SSA: the number stays the same, you only get a new card.

• Lost it: start the application at ssa.gov; noncitizens usually need to come to an office with an EAD or another immigration document and a passport.
• Changed your name (marriage, divorce): first update your name on your immigration documents, then bring SSA the name-change document and the new immigration document.

Replacement is free. Most often you need the number, not the card itself: before ordering a new one, check whether your employer or bank just needs the number.

An ITIN is a tax number from the IRS for people who must pay taxes but are not eligible for an SSN. It does not give the right to work.

If you have or had an EAD, you are eligible for an SSN, not an ITIN. An ITIN is usually needed, for example, by a husband or wife without work authorization to file a joint tax return. It is requested with Form W-7 together with the tax return. More details on the IRS ITIN page.

The easiest way is at the hospital: when you fill out the birth certificate paperwork, you can request a Social Security number right away.

Then the SSN card comes by mail without a visit to SSA. If you did not do this, apply at an SSA office with the birth certificate and the parents’ documents. A child born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen, so the child gets a regular card with no restrictions, and a U.S. passport is requested separately through the State Department.

Yes. A state can issue a REAL ID to people with temporary lawful status, but only for the length of their authorized stay.

TSA states this directly: a temporary (temporary or limited-term) REAL ID is issued, among others, to people with a pending asylum case, a pending or approved TPS, or a pending green card application. The card cannot be valid longer than your lawful stay in the U.S. A REAL ID is not required for domestic flights: you can fly with a valid international passport (since May 7, 2025 they check either a REAL ID or another acceptable document).

It depends on the state: there is no single federal rule, and each DMV decides on its own.

As a rule, the DMV checks your status through the SAVE system, so bring everything:

• a valid I-94 or an I-797C receipt for your filing (re-parole, TPS, or EAD);
• the old and new EAD and the USCIS letter extending the card (for TPS);
• passport, SSN, two proofs of address.

If SAVE does not confirm your status right away, the DMV may send an additional request; this takes weeks. Before your visit, check the “legal presence” or “lawful status” section on your DMV website.

Because a noncitizen’s license term is tied to the expiration of your document, and the DMV sees only what SAVE shows.

• The license is issued until the expiration date of the I-94 or EAD. If your parole has two months left, the license will also be for two months.
• If your parole or EAD has already expired and your application is pending, many states refuse or ask you to wait for a decision.
• The official TPS date for Ukraine on the USCIS website is October 19, 2026, so the DMV sees TPS cards and letters with exactly this date.

What to do: bring a recent I-797C receipt and the USCIS extension letter, ask for a manual SAVE check, and if you are refused, ask for the reason in writing.

It depends on the state and on how long you have already lived here.

Usually a foreign license together with an International Driving Permit (IDP) is accepted for visitors for a short time. But once you become a resident of the state (rent housing, work), most states require you to get a local license within a certain period. It is different in each state. For insurance and the police, an American license is much more reliable. Check the exact rules in the “new residents” section of your state’s DMV website.

You cannot get or renew a new non-domiciled CDL with U4U parole or TPS.

The FMCSA final rule 91 FR 7044 has been in effect since March 16, 2026. Non-domiciled CDLs and learner’s permits (CLP) are now issued only to holders of H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visas; an EAD is no longer a basis. Such a CDL is valid until the I-94 ends or for 1 year, whichever is sooner, and must be renewed in person. The rule is being challenged in court (Lujan v. FMCSA): the hearing was on September 15, 2026, and as of October 15, 2026 there is no decision, so the rule is in effect.

While your CDL is valid and has not been downgraded, you can use it, but you will not be able to renew it.

The FMCSA rule requires the state to downgrade a CDL if it learns that the holder no longer meets the requirements. According to industry publications, about 30 days are given for this. So watch for letters from the DMV, keep your valid EAD and I-94 in the cab, and plan ahead for what you will do after your CDL expires: a regular Class D license, a logistics job that does not need a CDL, or another status. Americanization can advise you on your options.

The I-94 is the record of your entry: the date, the class (for U4U – UHP), and the date until which you are allowed to stay. You can download it for free at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.

1. Choose “Get Most Recent I-94.”
2. Enter your first and last name as in your passport, your date of birth, passport number, and the country that issued it.
3. Save the PDF and print it.

You can do the same in the CBP Link app. If the record is not found, try the old passport you entered with and different spellings of your name.

The new I-94 after re-parole is issued by USCIS, not CBP, so it often does not show up on the CBP website.

Look for it in the I-131 approval notice (Form I-797) in your myUSCIS account and in the paper letter: the bottom part has the I-94 number, the class, and the new parole end date. This is the document you show your employer (class UHP – a 90-day receipt) and the DMV. Save several copies of it.

It depends on who issued the I-94.

• Issued by CBP (at the border or airport): go to the nearest CBP Deferred Inspection office or the port of entry. Form I-102 is not filed for CBP errors.
• Issued by USCIS (for example, after re-parole): the error is fixed through USCIS – a request to correct a USCIS error (typographic error) through the contact center or your account.

A wrong date or class in the I-94 later causes problems with your license, SSN, and I-9, so check the record right after entry or approval.

Within 10 days after moving, through your myUSCIS account: this is required of all noncitizens.

1. In your account at uscis.gov/addresschange open Change of Address.
2. Enter the number of every pending case (receipt number): then the address will be updated in each case.
3. Save the confirmation.

The paper AR-11 form formally meets the requirement, but it does not update the address in your cases by itself, so USCIS recommends doing it online. USPS mail forwarding does not forward USCIS letters. Failing to report a change of address can be grounds for deportation.

Most Ukrainians with U4U, a TPS-based EAD, or a visa do not: they are already considered registered.

USCIS considers registered those who have an I-94 (even an expired one), parolees (even if the parole has ended), and everyone who was issued an EAD. The G-325R is needed by those who have not registered, for example people who entered without inspection and have only a pending I-821 without an EAD. Everyone 14 or older who has been in the U.S. for 30 days or longer must register. Parents register children under 14. More details: uscis.gov/alienregistration.

Yes. If the child was already registered before, at 14 the child must re-register and be fingerprinted within 30 days after the birthday.

USCIS states this directly on its registration page. Willfully failing to register is an offense: a fine of up to $5,000, up to 6 months in jail, or both. If you are not sure whether this applies to your child (for example, whether the child already has an EAD), check at uscis.gov/alienregistration or contact an accredited representative.

All noncitizens 18 and older must always carry proof of registration: an I-94 (printout), EAD, green card, or G-325R confirmation.

Not having the document with you can bring a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to 30 days in jail for each violation. In practice:

• carry your EAD or a printout of your latest I-94, and for TPS also the USCIS letter extending the card;
• keep scans of your I-797 receipts for pending applications on your phone;
• keep your original passport at home and carry a copy.

How to act if you encounter ICE – see the separate page.