The spouse’s authorization depends on the spouse’s actual status, not the employer’s promotion timetable. Qualifying L spouses may work incident to valid status with appropriate evidence.
Check the household’s current position
Verify the spouse’s classification and dates, including applicable spouse-designated I-94 evidence. The principal’s petition approval alone is not that record. Eligible unmarried children under 21 may seek L dependent status but do not receive the spouse’s employment permission.
A family that assumes a standard multi-year assignment can make commitments that a shortened period will not support: a school year that runs past the authorized stay, a lease, a spouse's employment offer. Confirm what duties, if any, the spouse will keep performing for the Canadian business and how, since ongoing Canadian employment or self-employment does not by itself affect L-2 eligibility but may raise separate tax or corporate questions. Gather marriage or birth records, passports, prior status documents and each person’s intended activity, then compare those facts with the principal’s requested L period.