I am in NYC on a valid Work Authorization waiting for my green card (I got divorced before getting it). The DMV wouldn't process my REAL ID request because they said they only accept a Green Card or a receipt for one. What can I do to get a REAL ID?

You can get a New York REAL ID with an unexpired work permit only when you also show an I‑485 receipt or another DHS document proving a qualifying lawful‑status category.

You do not need an approved Green Card if USCIS can verify a pending I‑485 or another qualifying status. The usual fix is to bring your unexpired EAD together with the right DHS status document and return to a NY DMV office.

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Moving to the US?

Your friends say one thing, Reddit says another, and ChatGPT wrote you ten paragraphs. You're still not sure. So we built SettleKit from the one question that matters: what do people wish they'd known before they moved?

Everything's free to try, no account needed

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Working with

HSBC
Discover
Capital One
Zolve
Mint Mobile
Wise
Self
Chime

How to build your own SettleKit

Answer a few questions

Tell us your visa, your state, and what you've already done yourself. About two minutes, no account needed.

SettleKit onboarding questions
The SettleKit roadmap builder

Get a roadmap built for you

Every task you actually need, in the right order: driver's license, credit score, health insurance, bank account. Built exactly for you.

A personalized SettleKit roadmap

Do each step with guidance

Open a step and we compare your options, explain the fine print, and walk you through it at your pace.

A guided SettleKit step
Comparing options within a guided step
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Your first step is two minutes away

How people have used SettleKit

So much of moving here is rules and conventions nobody mentions unless you get them wrong. SettleKit tells you about them up front.

RemiFrance → New York

“My SSN appointment was in another city, and when I got there my printed employment letter wasn't acceptable. SettleKit tells you exactly which documents to bring so one trip is enough.”

LizGermany → Virginia

“We managed two months without a car…in a Kansas City winter, with a kid to get to school. No credit history, no car loan. SettleKit helped us understand how we could finally lease a car.”

NileenaIndia → Missouri

“In France there's one health plan. Here your employer hands you pages of them and wishes you luck. SettleKit compared them in words I could actually use.”

ValentinFrance → New York

“I got rejected for internet as a 'high-risk consumer' a week after landing. SettleKit explained why, and what to do about it.”

NadineSouth Africa → New York

“After getting rejected by banks and blocked by phone carriers, SettleKit was the first thing that treated me like a human.”

TahaPakistan → Illinois

“My first ten days here I had nothing on me but a passport. I barely left the house. I wish I'd had SettleKit's checklist on day one.”

OmarKazakhstan → New York

Ready to get started?

Answer a few questions and get a roadmap built for your visa, your state, and what you've already sorted.