MMoving to Japan

Pretty Specific Question Regarding Language School and SOFA Status

  • December 21, 2025

Hi! I've been scouring reddit and school sites, along with immigration and haven't been able to piece together an answer for my specific question.

Primary question: I'm planning to attend language school in Tokyo. My soon-to-be spouse is moving back early 2027 and will have SOFA status. If I wait and move with them, and enter the country as a SOFA dependent, can I then change to a student visa for language school, without leaving the country for a COE? Also considering going ahead of them, Fall 2026 — in that case, if I needed to, would I be able to switch from Student Visa to SOFA status?

Bonus: I've also been obsessively researching the different school options in Tokyo, I know that in general it is what you make it. There are many differing opinions on almost every school I've looked at… but I do want to make a good choice, if there is such a thing! So if you've really loved or really hated the language school you attended, feel free to weigh in with why.

Thanking you in advance!

by Kampaiiiiii

1 comment

  1. >If I wait and move with them, and enter the country as a SOFA dependent, can I then change to a student visa for language school, **without** leaving the country for a COE?

    Why? If you’re here legally you’re here legally. You can attend language school while here under SOFA status.

    >in that case, if I needed to, would I be able to switch from Student Visa to SOFA status?

    SOFA is not a status that immigration grants. Its part of the mutual defense treaty between Japan and the United States. From an immigration perspective when you’re here on SOFA status you’re not really here. So whether you could acquire SOFA status or not really depends on whether you’re on the orders that your spouse has received. This page references what you’d need to do in order to change to SOFA status:
    [https://www.misawa.af.mil/Portals/41/documents/Legal_Office/2024/SOFA%20Status.pdf?ver=SZBcKa9qMMvAi5Hm8NXaPA%3D%3D](https://www.misawa.af.mil/Portals/41/documents/Legal_Office/2024/SOFA%20Status.pdf?ver=SZBcKa9qMMvAi5Hm8NXaPA%3D%3D)

Comments are closed.