SOFA staus

[Okinawaiian]

A couple of quick questions: If you are a US citizen with a permanent residence visa, and get a job on base that offers SOFA status. Do you have to give up your Japanese drivers licsense? and is it mandatory to have your vehicle registered as a "Y" plate?
Thank you in advance!

[proudtobnotpc]

A couple of quick questions: If you are a US citizen with a permanent residence visa, and get a job on base that offers SOFA status. Do you have to give up your Japanese drivers licsense? and is it mandatory to have your vehicle registered as a "Y" plate?
Thank you in advance!

that depends on who you work for and which base. Marine bases do not care about the Y plate as long as you have insurance. I was sofa and drove a kanji plate for many years. I know the Army does not make you get a sofa stamp in your pass port. Once you are PR you do not ever have to give it up.

[DoctorP]

You will not have to give up the drivers license. I still have mine, as for the car plates, I do not think that you will "have" to do it, but it is cheaper, so you may want to.

[Okinawaiian]

that depends on who you work for and which base. Marine bases do not care about the Y plate as long as you have insurance. I was sofa and drove a kanji plate for many years. I know the Army does not make you get a sofa stamp in your pass port. Once you are PR you do not ever have to give it up.

It would be a position within AAFES, if that helps.

[proudtobnotpc]

It would be a position within AAFES, if that helps.

not sure with them. Just call the HR department and ask. good luck

[Okiman]

I know that you can maintain your license, but I am not sure about what your status will be and if you have to give up your PR. I have had friends not take SOFA jobs becasue they were told they would lose their PR, but I have seen others roll with it no problem. I would take Proudtobenotpc's advise and check first with HR, and maybe a call down to legal whould not be a bad move.

[Richard Burns]

What I've been told is you can keep the Japanese license but if you want Y plates then you'll also need to get your SOFA license.

I was at the Okinawa City office last week and they have a paper there in English that says even if you are a Permanant Resident you still need to turn in your gaijin card when you get a SOFA job. It's a new thing I guess.

[socalheart]

If you take SOFA, you may not be able to keep your Permanent Resident visa. In that case, I recommend keeping the PR, because jobs come and go. You can always get a contractor sticker or something. Good luck! :D

[Okinawaiian]

Thanks for all the great info!

[proudtobnotpc]

I know that you can maintain your license, but I am not sure about what your status will be and if you have to give up your PR. I have had friends not take SOFA jobs becasue they were told they would lose their PR, but I have seen others roll with it no problem. I would take Proudtobenotpc's advise and check first with HR, and maybe a call down to legal whould not be a bad move.
actually if you go to immigration in Naha they will tell you that once you have PR they can not take it unless you commit a bad crime. they are several MCCS employees that have both as it is on a case by case basis.

[Okiman]

actually if you go to immigration in Naha they will tell you that once you have PR they can not take it unless you commit a bad crime. they are several MCCS employees that have both as it is on a case by case basis.

It seems like that is always the case with isues like this, case by case basis. I wish that this along with many other things were clear cut so folks would know where they stand

[abonifi1]

I would say look at the tax situation on this topic, if you take SOFA,and have to pay US taxes, it may not be worth keeping PR, because if you keep PR you also have to pay Japanese taxes.

I don't know SOFA status tax rules, but you might want to research it.

I do know you can de-register your PR for up to 5 years without an issue, this means for 5 years you are considered outside the country, but retain your status on return.

I did this when I left Okinawa, when I returned, I filled out 1 form and was given my PR back.