TD does not authorize employment, and eligibility cannot be transferred between spouses.
Review the spouse’s own proposal
The spouse would need an independent lawful work basis supported by their own qualifications and actual duties. TD dependants may study but may not work. A profession considered for the principal does not become an available family entitlement.
A household review should produce separate entries for the principal, spouse, and every child, rather than assuming the principal’s profession carries everyone else. Record citizenship, marital status, age at the relevant time, intended activities after arrival, and any independent qualification. A TD spouse or child may accompany or follow a qualifying TN principal, but TD status does not authorize employment. A spouse who intends to keep earning, including through remote client work performed while physically in the country, needs a separate work-authorizing basis. The first review also identifies date-sensitive issues before travel is booked, especially a child nearing 21 or a marriage that has not yet occurred. Confirm citizenship of the principal separately, along with job eligibility; family facts cannot repair a weak TN case. Hypothetical example: a hydrologist accepts a US consulting assignment, while her spouse plans to sell online language courses from their apartment and their 20-year-old child plans a gap year. The key records are the marriage certificate, the child’s birth record, the child’s age, and the spouse’s proposed work plan. The household must decide whether the spouse pauses the work, obtains another status, or remains outside the country; calling the activity a foreign business does not answer the authorization question.