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AndrewZweifel

Puerto Rico and WHTI

By AndrewZweifel in Working & Traveling During US Immigration

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AndrewZweifel Rookie

AndrewZweifel   0

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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My wife and I have tickets to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. She has applied for her AOS. I want to be sure that she will be able to get there and come back. I know that in the past it has been ok to go to Puerto Rico but now with the 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative' is there going to be a problem? On the website it states that the passport requirement is not apply to US Citizens but does anyone know if it does for AOS Applicants?

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

I cant get a straight answer and I dont want to get stuck there....

Anyone have any ideas???

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payxibka Grand Master

payxibka   10,045

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Philippines
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My wife and I have tickets to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. She has applied for her AOS. I want to be sure that she will be able to get there and come back. I know that in the past it has been ok to go to Puerto Rico but now with the 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative' is there going to be a problem? On the website it states that the passport requirement is not apply to US Citizens but does anyone know if it does for AOS Applicants?

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

I cant get a straight answer and I dont want to get stuck there....

Anyone have any ideas???

How will anyone know whether she is a USC or not?

YMMV

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SoL. Experienced

SoL.   0

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Netherlands
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Posted (edited)
My wife and I have tickets to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. She has applied for her AOS. I want to be sure that she will be able to get there and come back. I know that in the past it has been ok to go to Puerto Rico but now with the 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative' is there going to be a problem? On the website it states that the passport requirement is not apply to US Citizens but does anyone know if it does for AOS Applicants?

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

I cant get a straight answer and I dont want to get stuck there....

Anyone have any ideas???

How will anyone know whether she is a USC or not?

She's gonna have to show an ID before boarding the plane. Does she have an US ID or just her passport ? Since she's on her AOS process I am not sure.

Puerto Rico is beautiful, you'll have a great time in there!

Edited by Sol-de-Verano

Our AOS Journey

July 18, 07: AOS/EAD sent to Chicago

Aug 03, 07: Received Biometrics appt. letter

Aug 23, 07: Biometrics

Aug 30, 07: Transfer to CSC letter dated 8/27

Sept 19, 07: EAD Approval email

Sept 29, 07: EAD card Received

Oct 09, 07: AOS Approved

Oct 13, 07: Green Card in hand

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ardilla Explorer

ardilla   0

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Peru
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Puerto Rico is technically a U.S. territory (commonwealth) so you are not leaving the U.S. by going to Puerto Rico. You will not pass through immigration going to or coming from Puerto Rico provided that you arrive directly by plane from the U.S. mainland. My husband showed his U.S. drivers license to the security folks at the airport, but he could have shown his passport.

Having said that, Puerto Rico is itself a country of its own. We went there on our honeymoon last year...it's beautiful. Enjoy!

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SoL. Experienced

SoL.   0

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Netherlands
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Yeah she has a probitionary driver's license but it is in her new married name and not in her maiden name, which is the name she booked the tickets under...

As long as you have an official/valid ID that matches the name on the tickets you will be fine. Like Ardilla said, PR is a Commonwealth of the USA and it's considered part of the US. I travel to PR using my driver's license, no passport is necessary because it's treated as a domestic flight, you don't go thru customs or have to declarare anything.

Enjoy your visit!!! :dance:

Our AOS Journey

July 18, 07: AOS/EAD sent to Chicago

Aug 03, 07: Received Biometrics appt. letter

Aug 23, 07: Biometrics

Aug 30, 07: Transfer to CSC letter dated 8/27

Sept 19, 07: EAD Approval email

Sept 29, 07: EAD card Received

Oct 09, 07: AOS Approved

Oct 13, 07: Green Card in hand

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Aussielad Community Regular

Aussielad   37

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Australia
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Your fine, dont worry about it, Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory (Practically a state now!), so dont worry, enjoy it!

Oct 29th 2004 -Met online
Oct 29th -First phone call
Dec 25th -She purposed and i said Yes!
May 10th I-130 Packet and Packet 3 sent off to me by the U.S. Consulate
May 16th -Received Packets 1-3 from the U.S. consulate
June 29th -I arrived in Puerto-Rico!
July 2nd -Married in Mayaguez, Puerto-Rico and also got our interview date for September 6th
August 17th -We arrived in Australia to file for Sep. 6th
September 6th - Filed DCF in Sydney and approved 1 hour later!
September 12 -Received my passport with the visa and yellow packet
November 24th -POE.......Guam,USA
December 12, 2005-Green Card arrived in the mail
September 11, 2007 -Filed I-751 on conditions
September 17 -VSC Receives my I-751 and issues NOA1
Oct 10 -Had biometrics taken in San Juan, Puerto Rico ASC
Oct 12 -Touched.
Aug 21, 2008 -Approved!...........finally
Sep 17, 2008 -Mailed off N-400
Oct 22, 2008 -Biometrics taken in San Juan ASC
Feb 12, 2009 -N-400 Interview
Feb 26, 2009 -Oath.....the end.

....................................*What we do in this life will have an echo in the life to come*...............................

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