Moving to Miami from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela or Cuba: buying a home here

How to use this guide

Relocation advice usually fails in one of two ways: it is generic, or it is about everything except the paperwork. This guide is only the paperwork. It is organized by origin because status at arrival, not preference, determines what a lender, a bank, the driver license office and a school will ask for.

Nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice. It is a map of which agency owns which step, with the rules quoted from that agency, so you can walk in prepared.

From Puerto Rico

Credit and lending

Moving from Puerto Rico is a domestic move for federal purposes: you are a U.S. citizen with a Social Security number, and lenders underwrite you the way they underwrite any other borrower. Before you apply, pull your own reports. The CFPB confirms you are entitled to a free copy from each of the three nationwide bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com, so you and the lender are reading the same file. If accounts from island lenders are missing, bring statements; the lender can document them.

Act 60 and residency

If you hold an Act 60 decree, its benefits depend on remaining a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico. The IRS tests in Publication 570 are the presence test (generally at least 183 days in the territory during the tax year), the tax home test and the closer connection test. Publication 570 also sets out how the year of a move is treated and when Form 8898 must be filed. Talk to your tax adviser before you choose a move date, not after.

Driver license and car

FLHSMV applies the same new-resident rules to everyone: a Florida driver license within 30 days of establishing residency, and title and registration of your vehicle within 10 days of establishing residency, becoming employed or placing children in school. One detail that catches people from Puerto Rico: FLHSMV accepts a Puerto Rico birth certificate as primary identification only if it was issued after July 1, 2010. A valid U.S. passport avoids the issue.

For the car, FLHSMV requires Florida insurance from a Florida-licensed agent, proof of identity for every owner, the out-of-state title, and a completed title application; a vehicle without a lien needs a physical VIN inspection by a law enforcement officer, a Florida dealer or a tax collector employee. The agency lists a $225 initial registration fee for owners with no existing Florida plate. Shipping the car by sea is a private arrangement; the state process begins when it lands.

From Colombia and Venezuela

Status decides the lending path

The document that matters first is not the bank statement; it is the one that shows your status. Lenders sort files roughly into three tracks:

The IRS describes an ITIN as a nine-digit number issued to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number but are not eligible for a Social Security number. It is for federal tax purposes only; it does not authorize work or provide Social Security benefits. You apply on Form W-7, usually with a tax return, by mail, at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, or through a Certifying Acceptance Agent, and the IRS asks you to allow about seven weeks, longer in tax season. ITINs also expire and must be renewed to file.

On fairness: the CFPB states that ECOA “does not prohibit lenders from considering a borrower’s immigration status when evaluating a credit application and whether they’re able to repay the loan,” but “does prohibit lenders from using immigration status to discriminate” based on national origin or race. The DOJ and CFPB joint statement adds that overbroad criteria, such as how long someone has had a Social Security number, can act as a proxy for a protected characteristic and cannot be a pretext.

Proof of funds and source of funds

Every lender, and most title companies, will want two different things. Proof of funds shows the money exists: statements for the accounts the down payment and closing costs will come from. Source of funds shows where it came from: a sale contract for a property abroad, a business distribution, an inheritance, a gift letter. Wire transfers from a relative’s account without a paper trail slow closings. Assemble the trail before the money moves.

Opening a U.S. bank account

Ask the bank in advance which identity documents it accepts for customers without an SSN. Many will open an account on a passport plus a second document, and some accept an ITIN as the taxpayer number. Open the account early: lenders like to see funds seasoned in a U.S. account, and a domestic account makes the wire at closing simpler.

FIRPTA when you sell

If you sell while you are still a foreign person for tax purposes, FIRPTA applies. The IRS rule is that the buyer, as withholding agent, generally withholds 15 percent of the amount realized. There is no withholding when the buyer will use the property as a residence and the price does not exceed $300,000, and a reduced rate applies between $300,000 and $1,000,000 under the same condition. Sellers can apply for a withholding certificate on Form 8288-B; the buyer reports on Forms 8288 and 8288-A. Plan for this at purchase if a sale before tax residency is possible.

Driver license documents

For non-immigrant status holders, FLHSMV lists primary identification such as a valid Employment Authorization Card (I-766), non-expired proof of classification on Form I-94, or a valid passport with I-94, plus proof of SSN or a letter of ineligibility, plus two proofs of Florida address. The license is issued for the period on the USCIS document. Permanent residents use the I-551 card. You can retrieve your I-94 online at CBP’s I-94 site.

From Cuba

Parole, adjustment, and what a lender sees

USCIS describes the Cuban Family Reunification Parole program as paroling beneficiaries into the United States generally for up to three years. After parole, a beneficiary is eligible to apply for employment authorization on Form I-765, and USCIS states it expects CFRP parolees to apply for a green card after one year of presence under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. USCIS lists the adjustment requirements as being a Cuban native or citizen, inspected and admitted or paroled after January 1, 1959, physically present for at least one year, admissible, and filing Form I-485.

For a lender, that sequence maps to documents: the I-94 showing parole, the I-766 Employment Authorization Document, the Social Security number issued after work authorization, and later the I-551 permanent resident card. Which loan programs are open at each stage is a lender decision; ask early and ask several.

Documents typically accepted

USCIS lists, for the green card application, a government-issued photo ID, passport pages with the admission or parole stamp, a copy of Form I-94 or the CBP admission or parole stamp, a birth certificate and evidence of Cuban nationality, and Form I-693 medical results. The same core documents are what FLHSMV and a lender will ask to see. FLHSMV specifically lists an I-512 parole letter with a valid passport among primary identification for non-immigrants.

Common steps for everyone

Rent first, then buy

A lease is the fastest way to generate the two proofs of Florida address that FLHSMV, the vehicle registration and the school district all require. It also buys time to season funds and build a file. Buying immediately is possible, especially with cash or a foreign-national program, but the paperwork above is easier from a Florida address.

Florida driver license or ID

FLHSMV requires original documents that validate identity, Social Security number and residential address. Two different address documents are required; the agency’s examples include a deed or lease, a Florida vehicle registration, and a utility bill dated within the last 60 days. A Florida ID card follows the same document rules for people who do not drive. Applications are in person.

Car registration

The 10-day rule, Florida insurance, VIN verification and the title application are described above. The step is the same for a car shipped from San Juan, driven from another state, or bought here.

School enrollment

Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ registration checklist asks for:

• proof of age and legal name, such as a duly attested original birth certificate or a passport;
• two proofs of address, such as a lease or a broker’s statement of purchase, a homestead exemption card, or an electric bill in the parent’s name;
• the State of Florida School Entry Health Exam (DH 3040), performed within one year before enrollment;
• the Florida Certificate of Immunization (DH 680);
• prior school records for grade placement, with interpretation of foreign records available at no cost from the district’s Federal and State Compliance Office;
• a Home Language Survey and the parent’s identification.

The checklist also states that parents who cannot produce a document should ask to speak to an administrator.

Health insurance

HealthCare.gov lists moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county as a qualifying event for a Special Enrollment Period, so you do not have to wait for open enrollment. Employer coverage, if offered, usually starts on its own schedule; ask on the first day.

Homestead exemption, once you own

When you buy, the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser requires permanent residence on the property as of January 1 and an application by March 1. A Florida driver license or ID, Florida vehicle registration and voter registration are among the documents it accepts as proof, which is one more reason to finish the FLHSMV steps early.

A first-month checklist

1. Lease signed; utility account in your name.
2. Florida driver license or ID within 30 days; vehicle titled and registered within 10 days.
3. Bank account open; funds moved with a documented source.
4. ITIN application filed if you need one, or SSN card requested once work-authorized.
5. Credit reports pulled; missing accounts documented.
6. School registration: DH 3040, DH 680, records, two proofs of address.
7. Health coverage through the Special Enrollment Period or an employer.
8. Lender conversation with your status documents in hand, before you tour.