TD dependent status does not authorize employment. A spouse who will provide services needs a separate lawful basis that permits the actual work; calling the help unpaid does not settle whether it is employment. Assess the spouse’s own citizenship, qualifications and proposed activity before including that help in the employer’s staffing plan.
Build the household plan without assumed labour
The principal’s offer should stand on the principal’s authorized duties. Separately record whether the spouse plans to study, remain in Canada or pursue independent work authorization. Eligible unmarried children under 21 may seek TD status, subject to the applicable process, but their dependent status also does not grant employment permission. Documents and travel procedures can differ among family members.
List who will answer customer messages, supervise caregivers, invoice families, update schedules, and make management decisions while the spouse is physically in the United States. Paid work for a United States employer performed inside the United States is the clearest concern, but unpaid participation, and work performed for a foreign employer while the person is physically in the United States, are not automatically outside the question either. A household weighing an offer that already carries structural uncertainty should know both facts at once, since together they describe a move where one income is conditional on an unresolved question and the other is not authorised at all.