A household may own a business together while its members have different citizenships and immigration roles. Identify what each person will actually do in the United States. Ownership, marriage and a pending principal case do not automatically provide work permission. A family review should make a separate status-and-permission chart for every person, including passport nationality, relationship evidence, age, intended activity, and timing. Hypothetical example: an L-1A transferee’s spouse is a jewelry appraiser who expects to take remote valuation assignments after arrival; the family must decide what authorization is available before accepting work, rather than assuming the principal’s status carries it.
Use the specific dependent rules
TD does not authorize employment. Qualifying E and L spouses may be authorized incident to status with the required evidence, while dependent children do not gain that spouse permission. Review unpaid services on their actual facts rather than assuming an exemption. Identify the exact dependent category and compare the planned activity to its rules. A dependent’s work for a family enterprise, unpaid help, or remote service still requires a fact-specific analysis; labels such as volunteer do not settle the point. The practical decision is whether the person should wait, seek authorization, or avoid the activity.
Review relationships and ages
Confirm the actual eligibility of each joining relative and any specific immigrant age-protection issue. Financial support does not make an otherwise ineligible person a derivative. A spouse’s citizenship can differ from the principal’s, while procedures still need individual review. Collect marriage, birth, custody, and status documents early, then check whether each relative qualifies at the relevant date. This is especially important where a child is nearing an age threshold or a relationship has changed. The household must decide on travel and filing timing from the actual evidence, not from an assumption that financial dependence creates derivative eligibility.
Coordinate documents before travel
Identify each person’s status and remaining steps. Immigrant derivatives enter with or after the principal. A shared arrival plan or employer deadline should not be treated as proof that every family member has permission to live and work in the United States. Map arrival, admission, visa availability, and work-permission steps separately for the principal and each relative. EB-5 derivatives generally receive conditional residence through the principal’s case and remain tied to its requirements; Gold Card still depends on the applicable immigrant classification. A coordinated plan is useful only when it preserves those individual conditions.
What else is on your mind?
Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.