The household does not need a single status label for everyone. Each person must have a lawful basis for their stay and activities. Coordinate family travel and renewals around individual records, including any children’s separate dependent arrangements.
Plan household decisions around individual permissions
If the spouse maintains independent employment authorization, verify its conditions before budgeting that income. If the spouse chooses TD, do not assume former work permission continues. The financial plan should follow the selected and effective route, not the preferred outcome.
TD status does not authorize employment, and working from inside the United States for a Canadian employer is still work performed in the United States. TD status covers a spouse and unmarried children under 21, and official guidance confirms that TD holders may enrol in school without changing status. An unpaid assistance arrangement also needs review of the actual activity rather than an assumption based on family status. TD may cover an eligible spouse or unmarried child under 21 and permits study, but the principal’s professional approval does not authorize the household to work. Marriage and birth records support TD relationships, but TD spouses and children cannot work; study is permitted.
The usual mistake is treating one household contract as shared immigration authorization.