There are some rules that make military spouses struggle to work while living overseas, as there are agreements between the United States and other countries that say military spouses couldn't have a job overseas. Now, with the help of the previous administration, there are some changes that are making it easier for military spouses.

Military spouse employment can be challenging, which is why a memo from the Biden administration made clear that military spouses are allowed to work overseas, with the help of fellow military spouses speaking up about it.

Military Spouse Overseas Employment

Military spouses or military families usually need to move and live in different countries as part of their family’s service. However, it has been hard for them to find jobs as they were told that they couldn’t get jobs because of some agreements.

Some were even warned that working could risk their status of staying in a country, and these were all based on the Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA.

"We've all been told for decades that we can't work under SOFA," said Beth Conlin. She’s been working with the DOD for 12 years to help remove the barrier of military spouses not being able to work abroad.

The SOFA is an agreement between the United States and other countries that consists of legal rules for American service members and their military families living abroad. However, SOFA is unclear and sometimes is just wrong.

What Are the Rule Changes?

About 120 SOFAs exist between the United States and other countries where American troops are located, and each agreement is different depending on where they are, and some of them are confusing.

With the rules being unclear, the Biden administration has worked to make military spouse employment abroad possible without any fear before the administration left office on January 17, 2025.

They released a memo to give clarity on how it should really be – the memo explained that no SOFA agreements between the United States or other countries could ban military spouses or even their dependents from working while they are stationed overseas, specifically stating the following:

• 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.
• DOD-authorized dependents would not lose their status as dependents in the country where they are located under applicable international agreements as a result of their employment.

With these being reinstated, it will help military spouses make choices about the opportunities they may have overseas.

How Does It Affect Military Families?

The recent change is now a big help for military families as this makes military spouse employment abroad easier to understand, and they now have more freedom to work while living in another country.

"After literally 10 years of begging for clarity, I was finally connected with the DOD policy office, and I spoke to the policy team and their lawyers and asked them, 'Can we just put out a memo that is just very simple in black and white?" shared Conlin, which is exactly what the Biden administration did.

SOFA created a lot of confusion. According to the 2019 Blue Star Family report, 26% of military spouse survey takers who tried to find work overseas, 88% reported difficulty finding a job, with 23% citing issues with the SOFA.

Now, with clearer guidance, it’s easier for military spouses and employers to move forward.

Why This Change Matters for Military Families

Being able to work as a military spouse is important, as military spouses should also have the feeling that they are also doing their purpose while also allowing them to grow in their career of choice. For many years, many of them had to give up opportunities and chances because the rules were not clear, just like what happened with Conlin.

But now, with the rules changed, it’s also clear that when military spouses speak up, change is possible, even if there is still more work to do; the memo is one step already. Therefore, understandable and consistent information must be shared with all military families, especially when it comes to military spouse employment. That way, they are able to work without the fear of losing their status.

Read next:

• Status of Forces Agreement​: Understanding How It Impacts Overseas Employment
• Entrepreneurship & Small Business Loans Are Helping Military Spouses Achieve Financial Independence
• Utah Air Force Base Families Struggle After Child Development Center Closes

Sources:

• Pentagon Ruling Eases One Employment Barrier for Military Spouses Overseas