The spouse’s work authorization depends on the spouse’s own qualifying status and evidence. It does not arise from access to the principal’s departmental budget.
Check the spouse’s status before employment
A qualifying spouse may work incident to valid L status with appropriate evidence, including the relevant spouse-designated I-94 where applicable. The principal’s approval is not that status record. Eligible unmarried children under 21 may seek dependent status but do not receive the spouse’s work authorization.
A spouse's employer, a school, and a landlord will each want an answer sooner than the case can give one, and a household that has agreed its own fallback positions in advance answers those questions calmly rather than under pressure. Children admitted as dependants may enrol in school; a child who reaches 21 must obtain an independent status, and a household with a nineteen-year-old should plan for that rather than discover it at an extension. Before the household commits to anything that presumes continuity — a lease, a school year, an employment contract for the spouse — confirm which document each person would rely on to prove their permission on the day it is questioned, and when that document expires.