Keep a separate, complete set for each family member, since each person's status and steps depend on their own nationality and circumstances. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for TD, and each will have their own records.
One folder per person, cross-referenced
Marriage certificates, birth certificates, and any translations belong with the person they concern, alongside their own admission records. Keeping them separate avoids sending an entire family's records when only one person's are needed. Note which documents reference the principal's arrangement, so an update to the principal's file flags what may need refreshing for dependants. A US-citizen child does not need TD.
A first review should separate the principal’s proposed employment from each relative’s independent plans. A spouse admitted in TD status may study but cannot accept employment, perform remote services while physically in the United States, or fill shifts for the TN employer. TD status permits study but carries no employment authorization of its own, so an agency contract, payroll setup, unpaid trial, or mere customer access does not let the spouse work. If the accompanying spouse intends to earn, that intention needs its own route and its own filing rather than an assumption that dependent status will stretch.