Travel to Puerto Rico from Philadelphia without visa stamping

[PMF]

Hi- I am on H4 and have my renewal until 2020; but I haven't stamped the renewal on my passport. my question is can I travel to Puerto Rico without stamped visa; would I be going through immigration upon return? Is valid driver's license sufficient to travel to Puerto Rico and back or I need my passport with valid US visa? Thanks.

[JoeF]

Puerto Rico is part of the US. Travel to PR is the same as travel to anywhere else in the US. It is domestic travel.

[newacct]

You don't need a visa but you need to bring evidence that you are in status (i.e. your I-94).

[PMF]

Thank you for the reply! I am guessing the same goes for US virgin islands like St.Thomas too?

[pontevecchio]

Just make sure that you do not enter the British Virgin Islands nearby by mistake.

[care_candidate]

We went to Virgin Islands on same status. They do check your I-797 at POE.

[JoeF]

6 hours ago, care_candidate said:

We went to Virgin Islands on same status. They do check your I-797 at POE.

When you fly from the British Virgin Islands back to the US, sure. There is no POE when flying from the US Virgin Islands back to the mainland. It is a domestic flight.

[Provence]

There are no known immigration controls between PR/VI and the US mainland. A visa is not a requirement; however, CBP occasionally inspects pax flying into the mainland, and it doesn't hurt to possess legal status docs to smooth things. 

[care_candidate]

We flew in direct flight from Atlanta to US Virgin Islands (Nowhere else) and back. And had to go through customs and immigration same as when you travel internationally. Although VI and PR and other offshore locations are technically territories of US, visa holder like H1b, H4...etc. do go through as if you are coming from other country. It may not be required but still followed.

In addition, within Virgin Islands travel by small boat (St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix) you have to carry your documents.

This statement is based on my experience in recent years.

[JoeF]

3 hours ago, care_candidate said:

We flew in direct flight from Atlanta to US Virgin Islands (Nowhere else) and back. And had to go through customs and immigration same as when you travel internationally. Although VI and PR and other offshore locations are technically territories of US, visa holder like H1b, H4...etc. do go through as if you are coming from other country. It may not be required but still followed.

In addition, within Virgin Islands travel by small boat (St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix) you have to carry your documents.

This statement is based on my experience in recent years.

Sorry, but I traveled to the USVI (St. Croix, St. Thomas) earlier this year. No customs, no immigration.

[Provence]

I've never heard of immigration from one US domestic point to another, incl PR/VI.