Immigrating to the United States involves many common aspects of daily life that require attention. Life in the U.S. is certainly very different from that in China, and immigrants will inevitably need some time to adapt. You cannot get by in the U.S. without the proper documentation.
The United States has 50 states, plus the capital of Washington, D.C., and there is no unified national identity card.
For Americans, the driver's license serves as their identity card. If you go to a store to purchase items that are prohibited for minors, the cashier will ask you to present an "ID," and what you need to show is actually your driver's license.
In the United States, an "ID" is a driver's license. A small number of adults who do not drive can apply for an "ID" at the driver's license department; it does not require a written or road test, and of course, it cannot be used to drive. While driver's licenses vary in appearance across U.S. states, important personal information—such as address, date of birth, height, weight, and hair and eye color—is entered into a unified national database.
Generally, for some primary and secondary school students who do not have a driver's license, an "ID" serves the same purpose as a student ID card.
In the United States, the only unified document that everyone must obtain is the Social Security Number, abbreviated as SSN.
You can go to a local government office, fill out an application form, and in about a week, a Social Security card will be mailed to your residence via regular mail. Applying for a Social Security number is free, but the SSN is the most important document you will need to obtain in the United States.
To be precise, you will need to provide your SSN for future enrollment in school, loans, insurance, and more. Any government or non-government department in the United States can use this number to look up everything about you, such as where you live, your credit history, and whether you have a criminal record.
The United States does not have a household registration system (hukou), but the Social Security number has effectively established a unified national "digital household registration" system.
In addition to academic certificates, some individuals may also wish to obtain other professional certifications, such as teaching certificates, medical licenses, law licenses, or real estate broker licenses. These certificates are obtained by passing various examinations. Therefore, there is no issue of difficulty in obtaining these documents.
In short, the number of documents you truly need to obtain through government departments in the United States is very small. Americans follow procedures strictly and requirements are precise. As long as you meet the criteria, you can generally complete the process in one go.
Additionally, some document processing requires a fee; for example, in Virginia, an 8-year driver's license costs $32, which is quite reasonable.
It should be noted here that it is best to make an appointment in advance when applying for documents; otherwise, you may spend some time waiting in line.