Pentagon Ruling Eases One Employment Barrier for Military Spouses Overseas

On Jan. 17, 2025, on their last day before leaving office, members of the Biden administration drafted and released a memo directing senior military leaders that, "No international agreement to which the United States is a party regarding legal status protections for DoD military and civilian personnel, and their dependents, deployed or otherwise assigned overseas, specifically prohibits the employment of DoD-authorized dependents in the country where they are located."

The memo goes on to say that military spouses and children would not lose their sponsorship under these agreements because of their employment.

This memo in black and white provides clarity for military spouses: Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) do not prohibit military spouses from working abroad.