You can get your visa and SOFA when you get to Korea, but you have to have your passport before coming.

I sent my passport, with all papers, to the Korean consulate that my state is assigned to to get the A-3, I had it back within 4 days. You can get the visa while you are there, but i forget how to do it

I don't really know anything about housing around Casey, sorry I was at Osan

A SOFA (status of forces agreement) stamp is basically an agreement with the host country stating that if you get into trouble, these are the guidelines that each side (Koreans and Military) will follow.

I just had my passport photo taken and tomorrow I have to dig up my birth certificate, but I'm going to go to Los Angeles federal building to get an expedited passport on Tuesday. I need it for my honeymoon so I'm killing two birds with one stone :)

What exactly is the A-3?

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That's what I thought, but I was not sure if the site I was getting my info from was reliable. Thank you so much for all of your help, I feel so much more informed already!

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It's a non immigrant visa for family members of US military personnel (as it pertains to us anyway). I found this article that explains it :)

http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/07/02...res/index.html

That was very helpful, considering 4 hours ago, I had no idea what an A3 was. My fiance and I just found out yesterday that I can move with him, so now we're scrambling to get all of the info we can before our wedding.

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Can you tell us where you found out about the SOFA stamp? This is some important information that definitely needs to be verified.

Also, I found this article you might find informative.
http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/07/02...sa-procedures/

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There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled.

I don't remember the URL, but I found the site when I was trying to find information on the Korean embassies. All of the text was in fractured english, so although the SOFA was explained correctly, it wasn't explained very well.

I was sent that article earlier in this feed and you're right about it being informative! I bookmarked it and I'm going to send it to my fiance when he wakes up. I'm hearing that he will have to help me get a SOFA and an A-3, if I'm still able to get them right?

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I got my info from the spouse's orientation on Yongsan. I spoke with the legal advisor about the SOFA. She told me that you need to be cs to get it.

Doxy,

Unless things have changed drastically in the past little bit, that is totally incorrect.

You -can- get a sofa stamp as an NCS spouse, and an A-3 Visa. I know I did.

While I don't doubt that you may have been briefed that, I think we've all encountered situations where we've received incorrect information from supposedly reliable sources. I'd have to see some documentation for that.

I just did some searches prior to posting and everything I'm finding is that the SOFA stamp is still not only -available- to NCS spouses, it's -required-.

The SOFA stamp isn't an official permission of anything, nor is it administered by the U.S. Government, it's simply an indication that you ,as a non-resident, and a military dependent, are covered and bound by the Status of Forces agreement.

To my knowledge, those standards are in effect even if you're just -visiting- Korea.

I honestly think you've been given some incorrect information.

I'm wondering if what you were told is in reference to your situation in particular, instead of applying to NCS spouses in general, since you -should- apparently (if you've been working in Korea at a hagwon, and officially had travel expenses paid by the school, the school helped obtain your visa for you,etc) fall under a different -category- of VISA than your average NCS spouse. Didn't you also post some time ago that you weren't receiving OHA due to the fact that your housing is supplied by your school?

An A-3 Visa isn't the same thing as a work visa, and the regulations governing it may be different.

Given that you're teaching , your VISA should be a category "E- something", rather than an A.

If you're considered under a different category of VISA, you may have different factors affecting you than most NCS spouses.

If you have an A-3 Visa,and you're currently -working- off base in Korea, then stop! don't pass go! Don't collect 200.00, because under the A-3 Visa, you are -not- authorized to work as you are, and you may end up running into complications. I'd get in touch with the Korean consulate, or immigrations office at your base, and start checking into things right away.

If you're not an official American citizen, that could also be complicating matters.

Dee

Edited to Add:

By George, I think I might have stumbled onto it!

I just checked www.usfk.mil 's commentary about the SOFA, at http://www.usfk.mil/usfk/welcome/sofa.html .

"For SOFA-status personnel entering Korea on a passport, the Korean visa should be category "A-3" and authorize "multiple entry."

It may very well be that you may be experiencing difficulty in getting your SOFA stamp due to the category of your VISA. You may be considered an "international teacher in Korea" rather than a "NCS dependent accompanying their AD family" , and thusly , not covered under the same standards.

Also according to the official State Department website , "Entry/Exit" requirement..

"Changes of status from one type of visa to another (from tourism to teaching, for example) are normally not granted in the Republic of Korea but may be obtained at a Korean Embassy or Consulate after departing Korea."

..so if doxy entered Korea under a different type of VISA than an A-3, she may -not- be able to change that visa *to* an a-3, without CS status, and she may not be able to get a SOFA stamp in her visa, since she technically isn't listed in Korean records as a military dependent.

My research , however, hasn't turned up any changes in the Korean immigration status that would apply to any NCS spouse seeking the Korean A-3 Visa.

If someone on the ground over there would like to go by the Korean immigrations office and ask someone, just to make sure though.. that'd definitely be great!