Read the general life across the border overview
A spouse holding TD status and enrolled at a college may be offered an unpaid placement as part of the programme. TD status permits study and does not authorize employment. Unpaid activities are not all permitted, and they are not all barred either: the specific activity is what gets reviewed. Collect the placement documents before anyone signs, and separate what the school requires from what the host would receive.
Describe the placement precisely
Write down who arranged the placement, who supervises it, how many hours it runs and over what period, whether academic credit is granted, and whether the school requires it for graduation. Then describe the host side: what tasks would be performed, whether other people are paid to perform those tasks, whether the host would otherwise hire someone, and whether any stipend, allowance or expense reimbursement is offered. Note who signs the agreement and what it says about insurance. The label used in the paperwork does not decide the question; these facts are what a reviewer can work from.
Separate the school requirement from the work question
Hypothetical example: a spouse in TD status in a Mascouche household is enrolled in a college programme requiring a placement of several hundred hours, and the host company pays other people who perform similar tasks. Two questions sit side by side. One is what the programme demands in writing. The other is whether the proposed activity would be employment for immigration purposes, which is assessed on the specific arrangement. Obtain the written programme requirement and the host description of the role, and have both reviewed before the start date rather than assuming the absence of pay settles it.
Compare the household statuses and keep the dates
Set out each person's status and what it permits. TD status does not authorize employment. Qualifying E and L dependent spouses are employment-authorized incident to their valid status, with the proper I-94 evidence for the individual; children are governed by a different rule. A status that answers one person's plans may not be available to another. If the spouse's own plans point toward a different status, ask about that directly instead of reshaping the placement to fit. Record the programme start date, status expiry dates and any age-related deadline for a child, and list the questions still open.
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.