# moving to Puerto Rico from USA **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505 "2009-06-11T23:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/1 "2009-06-11T23:38:21Z")
If I, a mainlander Yanqui, were to move to Puerto Rico, how easily could I establish residency there & vote in local elections? I’m already a US citizen, could I automatically become a PR citizen? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/2 "2009-06-12T00:11:21Z")
Puerto Rico is part of the United States, so there’s no separate Puerto Rican citizenship. If you moved to Puerto Rico, and made that your primary residence, you could register to vote and so on, the same way you would if you moved to Delaware or North Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/3 "2009-06-12T00:41:15Z")
Yea, there is no such thing as PR citizen equivalent to US citizenship. One thing is that in Puerto Rico you need a voter’s registration card (with your picture included) in order to vote. And to get that I think you need a local address and maybe a local driver’s license. Without getting registered (and showing the card at the voting line), you won’t be able to vote. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/4 "2009-06-12T02:23:43Z")
“Nobody knows in Am-er-i-ca Puerto Rico’s in Am-er-i-ca!” Sorry, somebody had to do it. Anyway, the [Jones-Shaforth Act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones-Shafroth_Act) of 1917 made Puerto Ricans full US citizens. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/5 "2009-06-12T02:48:20Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > “Nobody knows in Am-er-i-ca > Puerto Rico’s in Am-er-i-ca!” > > Sorry, somebody had to do it. > > Anyway, the [Jones-Shaforth Act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones-Shafroth_Act) of 1917 made Puerto Ricans full US citizens. Then why do they have their own teams in international competition? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/6 "2009-06-12T02:51:09Z")
The Explainer…err, explains: > **[Why Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team.](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2004/08/why-puerto-rico-has-its-own-olympic-team.html)** > > Following the lopsided 92-73 defeat the Puerto Rican men's basketball team handed the United States in Athens Sunday, many Americans were shocked. Not... ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/7 "2009-06-12T14:26:52Z")
> [@SaintCad](#): > > Then why do they have their own teams in international competition? :dubious: I don’t get this post. Are you implying that formation of one’s own international team determines whether a person living in PR is actually an American? It would be nice to know, purely out of curiosity, why they have their own team(s). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/8 "2009-06-12T14:33:38Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I don’t get this post. Are you implying that formation of one’s own international team determines whether a person living in PR is actually an American? > > It would be nice to know, purely out of curiosity, why they have their own team(s). Because international sports teams represent nationalities, not citizenships. That is why Wales and Scotland compete against England, rather than all being on one “British” team. “Puertoriqueño” is a nationality distinct from “American” in this sense, even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens (as are Welshmen and Scots subjects of QE2 the same as Englishmen). ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/9 "2009-06-12T15:29:51Z")
What if me, a Canadian, or anybody else from a non-US country wanted to move to Puerto Rico, would it be the same as imigrating to the US-mainland? ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/10 "2009-06-12T15:59:09Z")
Yes it would, J-P L, immigration is handled by the federal government. And England, Scotland and wales play together as a signal Great Britain team for the Olympics. The IOC allows Puerto Rico its own team under the rules that allowed African and Asian colonies to have their own teams when they were still attached to a European power. Since Puerto Rico doesn’t have a voice in the federal government, it’s distinct from the rest of the US under Olympic rules and can have its own team. If Puerto Rico were to become a state and have full representation in Congress, it would no longer be allowed to have its own Olympic team, anymore than Scotland or Florida is allowed to have one. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/11 "2009-06-12T16:03:10Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Yea, there is no such thing as PR citizen equivalent to US citizenship. [That is not correct](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_citizenship). The official policy: > [@](#): > > Certificates of Puerto Rican citizenship are issued to any persons born on the island as well as to those born outside of the island that have at least one parent who was born on the island. Any U.S. citizen with at least one year of residence on the island is also eligible for the official citizenship certificate. You do not have to be a US citizen to be eligible to vote in Puerto Rico. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/12 "2009-06-12T16:09:28Z")
Are athletes born in Puerto Rico limited to the the Puerto Rican Olympic team or can they choose between that and the U.S. team at their preference? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/13 "2009-06-12T16:14:47Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Are athletes born in Puerto Rico limited to the the Puerto Rican Olympic team or can they choose between that and the U.S. team at their preference? This is very loosely regulated, because it’s the IOC who decides these things. Recently people have been playing for national teams with which they have no particularly plausible citizenship or residency relationship. The same applies to PR’s own team. If they became a state, I would imagine the IOC would revoke their separate team, but I am not sure it’s automatic; these things seem to be handled ad hoc, like how they eventually handled the R.O.C. excuse me, “Taipei China.” ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/14 "2009-06-12T16:23:44Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Puerto Rico is part of the United States Not quite. There have been _incorporated_ territories (non-states that are part of the United States proper, such as Alaska before 1959 and Hawaii before 1960) and _unincorporated_ territories of the United States; Puerto Rico is [unincorporated](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unincorporated_territories_of_the_United_States). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/15 "2009-06-12T16:30:14Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Are athletes born in Puerto Rico limited to the the Puerto Rican Olympic team or can they choose between that and the U.S. team at their preference? Yes, at least under the IOC’s rules. FIFA has even looser rules about this stuff; English footballer Mustafa “Muzzy” Izzet decided to play in the European Cup for the Turkish national team when he was left off the England squad, and was allowed to by the Turkish soccer federation because his dad was a Turkish Cypriot. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/16 "2009-06-12T16:41:10Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > [That is not correct](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_citizenship). The official policy: > > > [@](#): > > > > Certificates of Puerto Rican citizenship are issued to any persons born on the island as well as to those born outside of the island that have at least one parent who was born on the island. Any U.S. citizen with at least one year of residence on the island is also eligible for the official citizenship certificate. > > You do not have to be a US citizen to be eligible to vote in Puerto Rico. The quoted article goes on to say that the certificate is not a valid travel document. It seems that the PR citizenship exists primarily to allow one to make a political statement by being able to vote in PR elections sans US citizenship. Presumably, such a person would be a PR who favored independence, which is a fairly small percentage at this time - most of the population seems to favor either statehood or continued commonwealth status with some enhancements. Question - is there such a thing as a PR passport for the PR citizen who has renounced US citizenship, or do PRs who wish to travel outside US territory have to obtain a US passport? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/17 "2009-06-12T16:48:13Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Presumably, such a person would be a PR who favored independence, which is a fairly small percentage at this time - most of the population seems to favor either statehood or continued commonwealth status with some enhancements. > > Question - is there such a thing as a PR passport for the PR citizen who has renounced US citizenship, or do PRs who wish to travel outside US territory have to obtain a US passport? Actually, a person would more likely be a US permanent resident (ie., immigrant) who has not received or did not apply for full citizenship. See below. To answer your question: no. [The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/841/how-do-i-go-about-renouncing-my-u-s-citizenship). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/18 "2009-06-12T17:39:52Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > The quoted article goes on to say that the certificate is not a valid travel document. It seems that the PR citizenship exists primarily to allow one to make a political statement by being able to vote in PR elections sans US citizenship. Presumably, such a person would be a PR who favored independence, which is a fairly small percentage at this time - most of the population seems to favor either statehood or continued commonwealth status with some enhancements. > > Question - is there such a thing as a PR passport for the PR citizen who has renounced US citizenship, or do PRs who wish to travel outside US territory have to obtain a US passport? There is a “passport” that is not valid for international travelling and is not recognized. There is not official PR citizenship akin to US citizenship, Canadian, Mexican, Spanish, or that of any other independent nation. **obfusciatrist** , PR athletes can choose whether to play with PR or play with the US. **anson2995** , don’t tell someone who would like one day to have an official, recognized PR passport that there is a current one. There is not one, what the PR citizen is is nothing more than establishing residency. It is not a passport in the same sense as passports from other independent nations are. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/19 "2009-06-12T17:48:16Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Question - is there such a thing as a PR passport for the PR citizen who has renounced US citizenship, or do PRs who wish to travel outside US territory have to obtain a US passport? Have to obtain a US passport, as we have US citizenship. I have a US passport. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505/20 "2009-06-12T18:34:33Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > Recently people have been playing for national teams with which they have no particularly plausible citizenship or residency relationship. Here’s one example: [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5817658.html](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5817658.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-puerto-rico-from-usa/499505.md?page=2)