The spouse’s actual current status governs. TD does not authorize employment.
Review the present plan
Identify the intended activity and applicable permission. Prior travel or family inclusion does not automatically provide a new work-authorized basis.
A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for TD, through steps that differ by nationality, and TD permits study but does not authorize work of any kind, including remote work for a Canadian employer. Build a separate identity and relationship packet for each family member: passports, marriage record, birth records for children, and genuine name-change documents. Record a child's school plans and age separately from the parents' status questions, and note whether the household intends to arrive together or in stages. TD status permits presence and study but not employment, and serving Canadian clients from a U.S. address is still work performed in the United States. If paid work matters, examine whether the spouse independently qualifies for another status before committing to a start date; the principal’s package never transfers work authorization. TD dependants may study, but the status authorises no employment, and an unmarried child ages out of eligibility at twenty-one regardless of anything agreed for the parent. Review any proposed remote activity or unpaid role specifically, and consider an independent work-authorizing route where relevant before relying on a second income.