I can get (https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/docs/integrate/api/git/pull-requests#get-a-pull-request) a pull request, manage reviewers and complete it. The branch has a policy requiring work items and it fails as the pull request does not automatically add the work items associated with the underlying commits.
Poking at the PATCH against the pull request with bad parameters nets a
"You can only update reviewers, descriptions, titles, merge status, and status"
I can get a list of work items using the pull requests url + /workitems but POST, PUT and PATCH all are not supported on the collection.
I do not see a way to associate a work item with the pull request?
You can associate work item to a pull request by updating the work item links just as starain mentioned.
Not sure which code language you use, I added a C# code sample for your reference:
It is not supported to associate work items to a pull request through REST API or client SDK API.
You can vote this user voice (https://visualstudio.uservoice.com/forums/330519-team-services/suggestions/15954904-rest-api-create-or-update-pull-request-with-work-i)
The workaround is that you could link pull request to work item. https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/docs/integrate/api/wit/work-items#add-a-link (The pull request URL could be found in the response after you link another work item, so you could link a work item to pull request manually, then link another work item to that work item through REST API and check the response)
This is achievable now. Here is sample code snippet: