I will be moving out to okinawa with my husband. He has already been there for almost 3 years and just recently extended another year there. Will I automatically get Sofa Status when we get married or how does that work? We will also be living off of base. Am I going to have to get a visa also to work on base, even though we are married?
ask his commanding officer
If you marry an active duty personnel, you are eligible to work on post providing that you get SOFA status. For you to get it, your spouse must be able to get orders for you so that you may not have to obtain a visa. Good luck and have fun in Okinawa. Enjoy the culture and the food, and be nice to the people. They truly are nice and respectful.
I think the SOFA is sort of your visa. Meaning, if you have SOFA staus, you will not need a separate visa to be in Japan. As for work, SOFA has special rules and regulations regarding dependant and employment. You may need to consult with base personel regarding the detailed rules and regs. In general, much of the work that is not DOD or US Military specific, is supposed to be given to local residents.
