Read the general life across the border overview
Sooke households should assess actual work authorization and immigration eligibility alongside any combined financial plan. The first decision is factual: which family members are Canadian citizens and which are permanent residents, because a PR card does not give TN eligibility. The second is practical: whether a spouse who cannot work in TD status will apply for a route of their own or accept a period without employment.
Review proposed work
TD does not permit employment. Qualifying E and L spouses may work incident to appropriate status with required evidence; children do not receive the spouse permission. Unpaid assistance, a staffing shortage or a pending case is not automatic authorization.
Assess each immigrant case
Review qualifying relationships, age facts and CSPA where relevant. Immigrant-visa derivatives enter with or after the principal. A family’s anticipated EB-5 repayment date does not establish residence or travel timing.
Reconcile staged Gold Card payments
For an individual principal, eligible spouse and eligible child, processing totals US$45,000 and instructed gifts total US$3 million. The combined US$3.045 million should not be confused with the next payment when processing is already paid. Official instructions and actual eligibility govern. Eligible children generally must be unmarried and under 21; assess any applicable CSPA protection on the individual case facts.
Hypothetical example: a forester with a permanent-resident spouse and a child near 21
Hypothetical example: a Sooke forester who is a Canadian citizen accepts a US position in a listed TN profession. Her husband holds Canadian permanent residence but not citizenship and runs a bookkeeping practice from home. Their son is 20 and finishing college. The household budget assumes all three move together and that the husband keeps his clients. Each assumption needs its own check. The husband cannot use TN because he is not a Canadian or Mexican citizen, and as a TD dependant he cannot work, including for his existing Canadian clients while physically in the United States. The son can enter as a TD dependant only while unmarried and under 21; after his birthday he needs a status of his own, for example as a student, or he stays in Canada. The forester's own eligibility is unaffected by any of this, but the family plan changes depending on whether the husband applies for a different route or pauses his practice.
Sequence the applications around the age and citizenship facts
When one member of a household is close to 21 or lacks Canadian citizenship, the order of applications matters. Confirm the principal's TN engagement first, then decide whether the son should apply as a dependant before his birthday or as a student directly. For the spouse, compare the cost of a period without income against the effort of an independent route. None of these choices changes the underlying rules; they only change which family member carries which application.
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.