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US Navy Command Sponsorship in Japan 2008/7/6 20:33
I am an Australian marrying my Fiance Jan 2009, a few of my friends have also married US Navy men and did not have to get a Full Medical or Dental to obtain Command Sponsorship, once they married it was automatic, this was a few years ago in Japan and Hawaii, has this changed recently? My fiance's command are telling him I need to supply a full medical and dental when applying for Command Sponsorship. Also is SOFA given to me automatically once married or only when I am command sponsored? I am a bit cocerned about living there legally until I get command sponsored as I am only eligible for the 90 day visa waiver due to age and not having qualifications for a work visa and dont want to have to keep coming in and out of Japan, once we marry I will travel with my Husbands orders however immigration can still refuse me entry if they think I am working there, but I wont be.
by Brissi Girl  

command sponsorship & SOFA status 2008/7/7 14:03
Here is some info about command sponsorship and SOFA status:
http://www.kittyhawk.navy.mil/welcome/sponsorship.html

It looks like SOFA status is granted automatically. Command Sponsorship, however, is not. The reason medical history is required is because the health facilities overseas are generally more limited than those in the U.S. People with chronic health issues that cannot be adequately handled by local medical facilities are denied command sponsorship.
The medical review this entails is part of the 'overseas screening' process and quite frankly it is handled with varying degrees of responsibility depending in where it was done. There are quite a few instances of people being sent home because of things that should have prevented them coming at all. It may be, in the past, that people you know were able to get by with a less complete screening.
There are probably other military sites with more complete information than the one I gave you, it just takes some looking around. Your fiance should be checking & double-checking everything.
by Spendthrift rate this post as useful

SOFA STATUS 2008/7/7 17:01
Thanks Spendthrift, I now get what I need to do for Command Sponsorship. So for SOFA Status is this an agreement between the US Gov and Japanese Gov that as a spouse of a military personel I can live in Japan legally and it overwrites the current Tourist Visa I would be on that is only for 90 Days? Does this also mean with SOFA status I can enter Japan on a oneway ticket and not have to be on a return ticket. Thanks for your help.
by Brissi Girl rate this post as useful

. 2008/7/7 20:13
SOFA Status allows you to enter without much trouble, assuming you had all your paperwork and identification in order to show to the Immigration Inspector when entering.

It doesn't "overwrite" anything, since SOFA status isn't technically a Japanese Immigration status, eg, you can live in Japan for 10 years under SOFA but in the eyes of Immigration, you never lived in Japan at all, so if you ever wanted Permanent Residence in Japan, you have to start from square one.
by John rate this post as useful

SOFA STATUS Continued 2008/7/8 05:42
Thanks John, what I meant by "overwrite" was if I only enter Japan on a 90 Day Visa Waiver from Australia and I get married within that 90 days and get Sofa Status and that is stamped in my passport, would I then still have to leave the country before my 90 days is up or does the SOFA Status allow me to stay in Japan? I am not ooking for permanant residency in Japan as I will be living technically on American soil on base, I just dont want to exit the country with my then husband for say a vacation and because I overstayed my 90 days but have SOFA status immigration refuse me entry back into Japan?
by Brissi Girl rate this post as useful

yes can stay japan after getting married 2008/11/7 19:22
After getting married u are automatically under command sponsorship but u have to do many papers work..I will assure u that u dont need to leave japan coz they will cancel un 90 days and u can stay in japan wth ur husband till the end of his order..We had the same case thats why i can guarantee u that u can stay in japan after getting married... -
by melai rate this post as useful

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