United
Money & Taxes Getting an SSN (or an ITIN) If you're authorized to work, you get a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration. If you can't get an SSN but still need to file US taxes (e.g. a dependent or spouse), you apply for an ITIN from the IRS instead. They are different things for different purposes. Newcomer path
Your first 90 days in the US
A practical path through the verified UnitedSewa guides most newcomers need first. Start with the shared core, then switch to student, worker, or family notes.
Choose a path
Shared shows steps everyone needs. Pick Student, Working here, or Parents & family to add cards for you.
Phase 1
First 30 days — arrive and stabilize
Start with identity, banking, health, transport, and one local community foothold. Skip anything the linked guide says does not fit your status.
Money & Taxes Getting an SSN (or an ITIN) If you're authorized to work, you get a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration. If you can't get an SSN but still need to file US taxes (e.g. a dependent or spouse), you apply for an ITIN from the IRS instead. They are different things for different purposes. - Use the guide to decide whether you need an SSN path or an ITIN path.
Money & Taxes Opening your first US bank account as a newcomer You can usually open a US checking account with your passport and visa — often before your SSN even arrives — so do it early; a bank account and a phone number unlock almost everything else here. - List the documents the guide says a bank may ask for before you visit or apply.
Documents Getting a driver’s license / state ID as a newcomer In the US, your state's DMV issues your license — so the exact documents, tests, and fees depend on where you live. Almost everywhere you'll pass a written knowledge test and a road test; a state ID (non-driver) is the easier option if you don't plan to drive. - Open your state DMV link from the guide before booking any license or state ID step.
Health Health insurance for new arrivals & students In the US, an unexpected illness or injury can cost a fortune without insurance — so getting covered is one of the first things to sort out. Your route depends on your situation: student plan, job-based plan, the ACA marketplace, or (if eligible) Medicaid. - Choose which coverage route in the guide fits you before you compare plans.
Health How US healthcare actually works (where to go, how costs work) Knowing where to go — primary care vs urgent care vs the ER — can save you thousands of dollars and hours of waiting. The ER is for true emergencies only; for most other things there's a cheaper, faster option. - Save the guide section that explains where to go for different kinds of care.
Culture & Festivals New to a US city? Find your Nepalese community Set your city in UnitedSewa to see nearby temples, Nepali groceries, events, and community questions. - Use the guide to find one local Nepalese association, temple, student group, or community contact.
Jobs Work authorization & the EAD (do you need one?) An EAD (Employment Authorization Document — Form I-765) is the card that proves you can legally work in the US. Some people need one; others don't — US citizens and green-card holders don't (their status already proves it). If your category requires an EAD, you must have the physical card in hand before you start working. - Check the guide before accepting work if your status may need an EAD.
Education Applying to US universities from Nepal (F-1) The path from Nepal is: apply to a school → get admitted → the school issues your I-20 → you pay the SEVIS fee → you apply for the F-1 student visa at the US Embassy in Kathmandu. Start early — a year or more ahead — and use EducationUSA Nepal (free, official advising). - Keep the F-1 documents and school contact points named in the guide in one folder.
Phase 2
Days 31-60 — work and settle
Turn the first month into routines: keep status organized, build basic financial habits, and understand work or family rules before problems appear.
Money & Taxes Building US credit from zero A bank account does not build your credit score — but a secured credit card used responsibly does. Expect it to take months, not days, and ignore anyone who offers to "fix" or "boost" credit for a fee. - Pick one first credit-building move from the guide and set a monthly reminder.
Money & Taxes Sending money to Nepal (remittance) The fee you see is not the cost you pay — compare the rupees your family actually receives for the same dollars, on the day you send. - Run the exchange-rate and fee checks the guide lists before sending money.
Immigration Keeping your immigration status valid (and what to do if it lapses) Keeping your status valid is one of the most important things you do here — falling "out of status" can end your stay and create future problems re-entering the US. Know your status's conditions, never work without authorization, don't overstay, and if something goes wrong, get help immediately — acting fast matters. - Put the status deadlines from the guide on your calendar.
Jobs Your rights at work in the US US workers have basic legal rights — minimum wage + overtime, a safe workplace, freedom from discrimination & harassment, and protection from retaliation for speaking up. Many of these protections apply regardless of your immigration status, so no employer should use your status to underpay or mistreat you. - Read the guide before a job problem comes up; save the workplace-rights sections.
Health Vaccinations & immunization records (school, work, green-card) Keep your (and your kids') immunization records — K-12 schools, some colleges/jobs, and the green-card medical exam all require them. Bring your Nepal records (translated), and a US provider can review them and give any missing shots — often free or low-cost for eligible children. - Gather Nepal and US immunization records in the format the guide says schools, work, or immigration may request.
Education Bringing family on F-2 (what dependents can & can’t do) An F-1 student can bring a spouse and children on F-2 visas — but F-2 has firm limits: the F-2 spouse generally CANNOT work and cannot do full-time degree study (only part-time/recreational); F-2 children CAN attend K-12 school. For a spouse who wants to work or study full-time, they'd need their own status (e.g. their own F-1). - Use the guide to separate what F-2 dependents can and cannot do.
Phase 3
Days 61-90 — plant roots
By month three, move from survival tasks into the things that keep life steady: taxes, coverage, records, savings, mental health, and passport planning.
Health Do you qualify? Medicaid & ACA-marketplace eligibility for immigrants Whether you qualify for Medicaid (free/low-cost public coverage) or ACA-marketplace subsidies depends on your income, your immigration status, and your state. The rules are nuanced — the reliable way to find out is the HealthCare.gov screener (it routes you to Medicaid or the marketplace) plus your state Medicaid office; a free navigator can walk you through it. - Use the guide eligibility questions to decide what to verify before applying for coverage.
Money & Taxes Reporting your Nepal bank accounts (FBAR & FATCA) If you're a US person (citizen, green-card holder, or US tax resident) and you keep money in Nepal (or any foreign country), you may legally have to report those accounts to the US government — FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) and possibly FATCA (Form 8938). Reporting an account is not the same as being taxed on it — but failing to report when required carries serious penalties. - If you keep Nepal bank accounts, read the guide before tax season and verify the reporting rules it points to.
Money & Taxes Retirement basics — your 401(k) and the Roth IRA A 401(k) is a retirement account through your employer — if they match your contribution, that match is part of your pay, so not taking it is leaving salary behind. A Roth IRA is a retirement account you open yourself, where money you already paid tax on grows tax-free. - Compare the workplace 401(k) and Roth IRA basics before choosing your first account.
Health Mental health support (you’re not alone) Mental health is real healthcare — and it's confidential. If you're struggling with isolation, stress, anxiety, or depression (very common in the immigrant experience), help exists, including culturally-aware and Nepali-speaking options. In a crisis, call or text 988 (the US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — free, confidential, 24/7). - Save one support option from the guide now, before you need it urgently.
Documents Renewing your Nepali passport from the US Nepal issues e-passports now, and you renew yours from the US through the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, DC (or an authorized consulate) — start before your current passport gets close to expiring. - Check the Embassy-linked passport guide before planning renewal, biometrics, or document prep.
Money & Taxes Filing US taxes as an F-1 / J-1 student Most F-1/J-1 students are treated as nonresident aliens for tax in their early years and file Form 1040-NR — and almost everyone must file *something*, even with no US income (Form 8843). Mainstream consumer tax software often files you wrongly as a resident — use a nonresident-aware option. - Use the guide before filing so you do not guess from generic tax advice.
Jobs Gig & 1099 work — what to know about taxes Gig/contract work (rideshare, delivery, freelancing) usually pays you as an independent contractor (1099), not an employee (W-2) — which means no taxes are withheld, so you must set money aside, pay quarterly estimated taxes, and you can deduct legitimate business expenses. (And gig work still requires work authorization — it isn't a loophole around that.) - If you take gig or 1099 work, read the guide before accepting forms or planning taxes.
