SOFA to Work Visa (ALT?)

Ok, so if you have nothing better than "my friends told me so", then I will stop here.

The OP can do his own research.

Advice obtained from the Japanese Department of Immigration (because someone asked this specific question of them directly):
"When SOFA status comes to an end they should visit their local immigration office within 30 days and apply for a change of status."
They have 60 days to either obtain a visa or depart Japan. That is quite a normal process.
This forum is littered with people making statements based on what their friends have said rather than getting information from a reliable or official source.

If you (JapanCustomTours) and Guest think you are correct, then answer the following questions (which he also ran away from):

1) When the SOFA orders expire in Japan, where does the person stay/live at?

2) When the SOFA expires, is the military ID taken away? Was another ID given to replace it?

3) Can a military person with no passport stay in Japan after their SOFA orders expire?

4) Can any person switch to a Japanese visa with no passport?

5) Can you make a contract to rent an apartment in Japan with no passport or with expired SOFA?

6) If approached by a Japanese police officer, can the person have no ID, expired SOFA, or no passport and avoid being put into jail? What does that person on "grace period" show the Japanese police?

The argument I'm throwing at you is that you don't fully understanding the process involved or are not telling the correct sequence that needs to occur. Furthermore, you are not telling the OP the correct process chain he would need to know.

You are also confusing institutions like schools connected to the military bases, with the process of what needs to occur to switch to a work visa in Japan. He also asked about work visa, not student visa.

A person can only stay in Japan, by being under: SOFA, a tourist (temporary visitor), have one of the various Japanese visas, or are being processed by Japanese immigration (after submitting an application). Pick one. If you think the answer is none of the above, then that person is sadly mistaken.

When did the conversation come to believe a passport or status transfer paperwork was not involved?

@Rejo

The grace period has already been confirmed by 2 of here with the immigration authorities. I think you're the only one who still isn't convinced.

I don't mind answering your questions but answer mine first.

Here's my question:

I mentioned babies born to foreign parents before. There's a reason why I mentioned that. This 30/60 day grace period isn't Sofa-specific. It's for people who enter Japan without processing through immigrations.

So what status does a newborn foreign baby have when they enter Japan at the hospital?
The parents have to apply for a status before birth? What documents do they receive from immigrations to prove this status?

This information should be readily available online from the ward office or immigration bureau. Please share your source or it doesn't count.

Also, you made wild claims that a former Sofa member will be jailed immediately if they are caught during their grace period if they haven't applied for a visa.

Please share your source for that also. Don't say your friends said so or you heard it from someone. That doesn't count.