TD status does not itself authorize employment. An eligible spouse or unmarried child under 21 may seek TD, but a spouse's proposed work in the United States requires a separate work-authorized route or classification, not an assumption based on the principal applicant's status.
Describe the household's activities separately
Include any remote work a spouse intends to perform from the United States for a Canadian or other employer, since the employer's location does not itself supply work permission. Address children's school plans and any age-related questions as well. State whether the household plans to arrive together or in stages so each person's documentation can be reviewed on its own facts.
Prepare an activity plan for every accompanying person. A spouse and children may study in TD status, but they cannot work in TD status; they may work only if otherwise authorized by DHS. That restriction covers services performed while physically in the United States even when the payer is Canadian. Confirm relationship records, school plans, and any separate application that could authorize a spouse’s employment. Do not mistake Canadian permanent residence for Canadian citizenship when considering a relative’s possible TN eligibility. The usual failure is treating the principal’s approval as blanket permission for the household.
Hypothetical example: an Ottawa actuary accepts professional employment with an American insurer, while their spouse hopes to continue remote bookkeeping for a Canadian retailer and their teenager plans secondary school. The family should pause the spouse’s U.S.-based work unless separate DHS authorization exists, while documenting the child’s permitted study. They should decide whether staggered travel makes sense and carry relationship evidence matching each application, rather than relying on the principal’s offer letter alone.