However , the political status of Puerto Rico , a Commonwealth controlled by the United States , is still not completely defined . On April 29 , 2010 , the U.S. Congress voted 223 â `` 169 to approve a measure for a federally sanctioned process for Puerto Rico 's self determination , allowing Puerto Rico to set a new referendum on whether to continue its present form of commonwealth political status or to have a different political status . If Puerto Ricans vote to continue to have their present form of political status , the Government of Puerto Rico is authorized to conduct additional plebiscites at intervals of every eight years from the date on which the results of the prior plebiscite are certified ; if Puerto Ricans vote to have a different political status , a second referendum would determine whether Puerto Rico would become a U.S. state , an independent country , or a sovereign nation associated with the U.S. that would not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution .