TD does not authorize employment. The absence of pay does not answer whether a specific placement is permissible, so have its duties and conditions reviewed before participation. TD permits study, but that does not make every activity connected with a course automatically permitted.
Review the spouse’s activity separately
Supply the placement agreement, expected tasks and school requirements if relevant. The principal’s professional arrangement does not authorize the spouse’s work. Obtain a separate answer for that person instead of borrowing the institution’s explanation of the principal’s role.
Confirm that the documents establish the qualifying spouse or child relationship, including the child’s age and unmarried status where relevant. Employment is judged by where the person is physically performing the work, not by where the employer is registered, so a TD spouse logging in from a U.S. apartment is working in the United States without authorization. The principal must independently show Canadian or Mexican citizenship, a listed USMCA profession, the profession’s required qualifications and prearranged employment that is not US self-employment. Assess the actual activity before assuming that assistance, remote work or an unpaid description removes the restriction. If your spouse intends to earn income in the United States, that requires a separate status obtained on its own merits.