Can you travel to Puerto Rico with an expired H-1B stamping? Immigration attorney explains when it's risk-free

Amid the ongoing volatility over the visa situation in the US, the one rule of thumb that immigration experts have been reiterating is that H-1B visa holders should not travel outside the US. Replying to all travel-related queries in his latest podcast, immigration lawyer Rahul Reddy said it is risk-free to travel anywhere inside the US, but should not involve a flight that takes a stop outside the US first. For example, Reddy said traveling to Puerto Rico is okay as it is within the US, but not to Costa Rica. Traveling to Alaska, Hawaii is also fine as they are all part of the US, but the flight should not go to somewhere else first outside the country.

"If some flight is going from Houston to Miami and from Miami to Puerto Rico, that's perfectly alright. But if a flight from Miami is going to Mexico City and then traveling to Puerto Rico, the answer is no. Do not travel in that. If you are traveling to Canada first and then going to Alaska, the answer is absolutely no. If it is directly to Alaska or Hawaii, then it's no problem," Reddy advised.

Why immigration experts are advising against traveling outside the US

Thousands of H-1B visa holders got stuck in India since December 2025 after they traveled to India for their fresh visa stamping. After they reached India, their interview slots were deferred to 2026 as the US State Department began social media vetting on December 15. Social media vetting is a process where H-1B visa holders and their dependents declare all their social media handles for the visa officers to go through before their applications are approved. Since this became a time-consuming process, the consular offices in India randomly rescheduled all appointments in December, the cascading effect of which is still continuing. H-1B visa holders who had their interviews in January and February this year received notices that their appointments have been pushed to 2027.

Without a fresh stamp, an H-1B visa holder can't re-enter the US, but as long as they remain in the US, they don't need the stamping as long as they have a valid extension.

Travel advice for H-1B visa holders from immigration experts

• Do not travel outside the US.
• Do not travel on a flight that flies to another country before going to a US territory.
• Green Card holders can travel outside the country but it should not be more than 180 days.