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United States · Official Resources

Government portals

  • The White House — Official residence and office of the US President — executive orders, policy briefings, press releases
  • U.S. Department of State — US passport and visa services, travel warnings, embassy information worldwide
  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Federal tax filing, refund status, ITIN/EIN applications, and Free File program
  • USCIS — Green card, H-1B and work visas, naturalization, immigration benefits, and case status

Banks

  • JPMorgan Chase — Largest US bank, leader in both investment and retail banking
  • Bank of America — US retail banking giant with nationwide branch network
  • Citibank — Leader in multinational financial services and international credit cards
  • Wells Fargo — One of America's Big Four, leading mortgage business

Embassies in United States

Official forms

  • DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application — Online form required for all nonimmigrant visa applicants
    How to file
    1. Use Chrome browser
    2. Auto-saves every 20 minutes
    3. Upload 51x51mm photo required
    4. Must match passport exactly
  • I-94 Arrival/Departure Record — View and print US entry records
    Checked against the official page on 2026-08-09
    How to file
    1. Foreign visitors no longer fill in a paper I-94; CBP builds the arrival/departure record automatically from electronic travel records
    2. Look your record up on the CBP I-94 website or in the CBP Link mobile app
    3. Use "Get Most Recent I-94" to view and print the current record when an employer, a school or a government agency asks you to prove legal-visitor status
    4. Arriving at a land border, apply for the I-94 in advance through the same website or app — Visa Waiver Program travellers also need an approved ESTA before reaching the border
    5. A paper Form I-94 can still be requested during inspection, but every such request is handled in secondary inspection
    6. If you were issued a paper I-94, surrender it to the carrier, to the Canada Border Services Agency, or to CBP when you leave
    7. If you hold an electronic I-94 and depart by land, keep evidence of that departure — entry stamps, tickets, pay stubs, receipts — because the departure may not be recorded; you can ask CBSA or Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Migración for an entry stamp
    8. Leaving by air or sea, CBP records the departure electronically from carrier manifest data
    9. I-94 numbers issued since May 2019 are alphanumeric: 9 digits, a letter in the 10th position and a digit in the 11th
  • N-400 Naturalization Application — Application for US citizenship
    Checked against the official page on 2026-08-09
    How to file
    1. Check you are not already a US citizen by birth or through a parent
    2. Use the USCIS naturalization eligibility tool to confirm you can apply
    3. Prepare Form N-400 — read the instructions, work through the document checklist, and get 2 passport-style photos if you live outside the United States
    4. Create a free USCIS online account and file N-400 with the fee; a reduced-fee or fee-waiver request must be filed on paper instead
    5. Keep the receipt notice and follow the case online
    6. Attend the biometrics appointment if USCIS sends you a notice
    7. Attend the interview at the date and time on the notice, bringing the notice with you
    8. Receive the decision — granted, continued if more evidence is needed or a test was failed, or denied
    9. Take the Oath of Allegiance at the ceremony: complete Form N-445, hand in your Green Card, take the oath, and check your Certificate of Naturalization for errors before you leave
  • SS-5 Social Security Card Application — Apply for or replace Social Security card
    Checked against the official page on 2026-08-09
    How to file
    1. Applying for a Social Security number and card is free
    2. As a rule only noncitizens authorised to work in the US by DHS can get an SSN; without work authorisation you need a valid nonwork reason set by federal law or by state law for public assistance
    3. The simplest route for immigrants: request the SSN on your immigrant visa application with the US Department of State in your home country — in most cases you then never visit a Social Security office and the card is posted to the address on that application
    4. Applying for permanent residence from inside the US: request the card on the same Form I-485. Contact SSA if the card has not arrived 14 days after your Green Card
    5. Otherwise wait 10 days after arriving in the US, so SSA can verify your DHS documents online and process the application faster
    6. Start the application online on SSA's page for requesting a number for the first time, then visit a Social Security office or Card Center with your documents within 45 days; self-schedule the appointment if you can, or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday
    7. If you cannot start online, complete Form SS-5 and call to book the appointment
    8. Bring proof of identity and work-authorised immigration status: your current US immigration documents — Form I-551, Form I-94, Form I-766, or an admission stamp showing a class of admission permitting work — plus your unexpired foreign passport
    9. J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors also bring the DS-2019 or EAD, and J-1 students, student interns and international visitors a sponsor letter on letterhead with an original signature authorising employment. F-1 and M-1 students bring Form I-20 or a Designated School Official letter
    10. Bring proof of age: your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can get it within 10 business days, otherwise an unexpired passport or a DHS document
    11. All documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency — not photocopies, not notarised copies, not a receipt showing you applied. One document can serve two purposes, but you must present at least two separate documents
    12. SSA posts the card once it has all your information and has verified the documents with the issuing offices
  • W-7 ITIN Application — Individual Taxpayer ID for those ineligible for SSN
    Checked against the official page on 2026-08-09
    How to file
    1. Complete a Form W-7 for every applicant — each family member needs their own
    2. Attach the federal return, Form 1040 or 1040-NR, and leave the SSN box blank for each ITIN applicant; the IRS writes in the assigned numbers and forwards the return
    3. Attach a W-7 for a spouse or dependent to the front of that return
    4. Add supporting documents proving foreign status and identity, plus proof of US residency for dependents
    5. Mail the package to the IRS ITIN Operation, P.O. Box 149342, Austin TX 78714-9342
    6. Or apply in person — an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center or a VITA site with ITIN services is free, a Certifying Acceptance Agent charges a fee; most documents are authenticated and handed back on the spot
    7. Allow 7 weeks for a reply, or 9 to 11 weeks between 15 January and 30 April and for applications from abroad
    8. Renewing an expiring or expired ITIN uses the same form — fill in the renewal sections