Read the general life across the border overview
A Nairn and Hyman household may plan around two professional jobs or a sponsored company transfer. More employment proposals for the principal do not change the dependent rules for a spouse or child.
Write down the activity and physical location
Identify remote contracts, billing work, internships or business roles, not merely job titles. TD does not authorize employment, including work performed in the United States for a foreign payer. A qualifying spouse in appropriate E or L status may work incident to status with the required evidence, while dependent children do not receive that permission.
Record the family facts independently
Dependent eligibility generally concerns a spouse and unmarried children under 21. Applicable immigrant CSPA protection needs actual case dates; it does not generally extend temporary TD, E or L child status. Study plans or financial dependence cannot be assumed to change those conditions. A donor or a second employer does not become a qualifying family relationship.
Connect immigration milestones to travel and costs
Immigrant-visa derivatives enter with or after the principal. Gold Card adds US$1 million and US$15,000 nonrefundable processing per eligible included spouse or unmarried child under 21, including corporate cases. Initial inclusion is recommended for those intending to join, but does not guarantee simultaneous decisions. Keep each person’s permission and funding visible rather than copying the principal’s start date into every family plan.
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: 2026-09-08. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.