Once you've landed, here's a sensible order for your first days in St. Louis — each of these is covered in more detail below.
- Get a U.S. phone number — a prepaid SIM works the same day and needs no credit history.
- Open a bank account so you can receive and send money locally.
- If you're eligible (students with on-campus jobs, or anyone work-authorized), start your Social Security number application early — you'll need it for work, building credit, and some accounts.
- Confirm your housing — settle into your short-term stay and start apartment hunting, or move into your lease.
- Sort out getting around — a transit pass, rideshare apps, or beginning the car-and-insurance process.
- Find your nearest grocery store, and a Persian or Middle Eastern market for the foods of home.
- Students: check in with your university's international student office — it's one of your most useful resources.
- Save the essentials in your phone: 911 for emergencies, your full U.S. address, and a couple of local contacts.