Passport needed for travel to Puerto Rico from the US?

September 25, 2008 11:21 AM

A friend from China is planning a trip to Puerto Rico. She is now in the US on an F1 visa, but it is not multiple-entry. If she flies directly from the US mainland to PR and back, does she need to show her passport and visa? Is there a possibility she will be denied entry to PR, or back to the mainland?

I would assume there should be no issues, since PR is a US territory, but I'd like to hear the personal experiences of noncitizens who have made this trip.

posted by Wet Spot to travel & transportation (4 comments total)

PR is the United States. She will need a passport to use as ID. Your friend should talk to her DSO, now.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:35 AM on September 25, 2008

According to this FAQ:

Do I need a valid visa to visit Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands?

No. You will need a valid SEVIS Form I-20 and a valid unexpired Form I-94. Be sure that you do not have a terminated SEVIS record indicating that you are out of status.


I think it means she's OK, but I'm honestly not sure. She's not a US citizen, so she'll have to show her passport. In any case, I would advise talking to the international student advisor to clear things up.
posted by O9scar at 11:57 AM on September 25, 2008

ex F-1 student here: your friend needs to go to the international student's office at her college and get the I-94 and I-20 updated. they need to give her in writing that she is in fact still a student there. she will have no problem leaving but upon return the only crucial question is whether she has to go through immigration (aka. passport control). if she's flying out of an international terminal, you can bet they will want to see this.
posted by krautland at 12:10 PM on September 25, 2008

Not sure the rules for it, or the route shes taking to get to P.R.

Direct flight there and back is probably no big deal, however you might ask say, what difficulties she would encounter if the plane had engine trouble and was forced to land for a time in say, Dominican Republic or something. Technically that would be a multiple entry, then (say they had to stay overnight for repairs so had to "enter" the country) but certainly explainable.
posted by clanger at 11:48 PM on September 26, 2008