Can mainland Americans move freely and permanently to us oversees territories with just a U.S. passport ?

22 comments

1. A US Citizen can legally move to any US territory and be a resident there.

2. Us citizens don’t need any extra paperwork to move to or work in the US Virgin islands. Same pretty much goes for PR or Guam. You don’t even need a passport.

3. Yes, it’s basically like moving to another state.

4. You can move but I believe the Pacific islands limit land ownership. Its kind of like a Native reservation out there but none of them are Native tribes.

5. You can absolutely move to Puerto Rico, not even a passport is needed. It’s considered a domestic flight. It would basically be the same as moving to any other state in terms of permissions needed. Can’t speak for Virgin Islands though I don’t know anybody who has moved there or vice versa

6. American Samoa has blood quantum laws, you can’t own property in parts if you’re not at least 50% Samoan. It’s part of the reason why there’s no push to become citizens there, it would probably run afoul of laws. The rest you can just become resident in, or you can rent in AS.

7. You don’t need a passport to go to any of the territories. You just need a form of ID to fly, which could be anything from a drivers license to a passport.

8. While a US citizen can move to overseas territories without issues, in at least some cases they can’t buy land or property there. [This](https://radiolab.org/episodes/americanish) podcast has a rundown of the debate within American Samoa about statehood, which would require outsiders being allowed to buy land.

9. Yes for the most part. I think there’s a seperate clause on US Samoa that non native residents can’t own land or something but I’m not too sure about that

10. You don’t even need a passport to go to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can just book a flight and move there today, just like any other state/Washington D.C.

    You do need a passport to travel to the other territories (Guam, American Samoa, and CNMI). I believe Green Cards are not valid for entry to American Samoa since they have a completely different immigration system. U.S. Citizens can live, work, and study freely in American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI (Green Card holders can live, work, and study freely in Guam and CNMI too).

    EDIT: It seems like you technically don’t need a passport to travel to Guam if you’re a U.S. Citizen. However, if you choose not to bring a passport, you’ll need a drivers license or other government-issued ID and a birth certificate.

11. Don’t even need a passport. It’s pretty cool.

12. No passport required to move within the United States and its territories.

    Have to show some ID on the plane or ship, but typically a Driver’s License.

13. No.

    We can move there whenever we want, but we don’t even need a passport.

14. We don’t even need a passport. We can just move there just like we could another state.

15. For the most part, yes. Some territories have certain laws to prevent people from purchasing land if they are not from the territory though. The Northern Mariana Islands are the best example of this, but it isn’t very common.

16. I’m not sure how British territories are setup or separated from the UK.
    But US territories are basically states without being states. I’m glossing over a large amount of details, but that’s basically it.

17. I think that we can for the most part.

18. I think so…?

    Never really thought about it. We can move to another state with no issue. There are generally no border crossings unless it’s a toll bridge or something like that.

19. Yes, Americans can move to US overseas territories with just their US passport. This is why you may find it difficult to move there permanently from the UK, because US overseas territories have different rules for citizens of other countries. The process for Americans is usually much simpler, as you don’t have to go through any extra steps like marriage.

20. You can move to any US colony with just a US passport.

21. Why would we need passports to visit or live in other parts of the US? Would you as a Brit need a UK passport to visit or live in other parts of the UK?

    EDIT: Apparently even US citizens need passports and other ID to visit American Samoa unless coming through Hawaii from the mainland.

22. some territories DO need a passport if you visit after visiting a foreign country (like you first stop in vietnam then go to guam). if you are going american territory to american territory it’s fine though