Compare immigration roles separately from share ownership. A spouse can hold shares without necessarily seeking an independent investor classification. A qualifying dependent E spouse generally has work authorization incident to valid status; a separate principal application must meet its own requirements. Choose the structure based on real citizenship, ownership, duties and family circumstances.
Check the proof, not the assumption
If the household relies on the spouse working, confirm what evidence will exist: an E-2S annotation, the class of admission on the I-94, or other applicable proof accepted for employment and for a Social Security application. Unmarried children under 21 may accompany the family but receive no work authorization from dependent status. Each family member may need their own appointment, so build the move around separate timelines rather than one shared date.
Owning the company does not by itself permit the investor to perform work in the United States; the E-2 role is to develop and direct the enterprise, and lawful status governs what any person may do. The principal’s case must still show treaty nationality, qualifying control, capital committed irreversibly to business risk, and an enterprise that is not marginal.
Because E-2 does not lead to permanent residence, no immigrant petition protects a child who ages out, and a household with a child in late adolescence should plan the transition to a student classification or a return to Canada from the outset.