Read the general life across the border overview
Permission to study and permission to perform work are separate questions. A dependent offered a co-op term, laboratory placement or assistantship should describe the actual tasks and status before accepting. The school’s approval does not itself expand the employment authorization attached to the student’s immigration category. Hypothetical example: a dependent child in a family that operates a custom prosthetic-liner business is offered a paid weekend role in the university laboratory connected to a course. The first review should identify the person's exact dependent category, admission record, age, tasks, pay and academic requirement. The decision is whether the activity is study, employment or both before the student accepts any schedule or compensation.
Obtain the complete placement description
Hypothetical example: a dependent in a Montréal-Est household plans to join a U.S. university program that includes an external placement. Request the tasks, hours, host organization, location and compensation arrangements. Include stipends, course credits and unpaid elements in the factual description rather than deciding in advance that one label makes the activity permissible. Ask the school and host for a written description that distinguishes observation, coursework, productive work and supervision. A label such as practicum does not settle the classification. The useful record lets a qualified reviewer assess the real activity without relying on the student or program coordinator to infer an immigration rule.
Apply the dependent’s own status rules
TD permits study but does not authorize employment. A child in an E or L dependent category should not assume the employment rule for qualifying spouses applies to them. Have counsel assess the actual placement and any separate authorization needed. An unpaid role is not automatically permitted, and not every unpaid activity is necessarily employment. Map the dependent's own rule before applying a spouse's rule. TD dependents may study but are not employment-authorized; qualifying E and L spouses may have different employment authorization treatment. Confirm status and admission evidence first, because family membership alone does not create the same work permission for every person.
Resolve the sequence before committing
Ask the school whether the placement can be deferred or replaced if its immigration requirements cannot be met. Review the dependent’s admission expiry and relevant age dates alongside the academic schedule. Keep the written answer with the program records. A course deadline does not authorize work, and a later application should not be treated as retroactive permission. The practical choice may be to defer, redesign or decline a placement while the status question is resolved. Ask whether the course has a non-work alternative and record the answer before the deadline. Do not begin productive duties on the assumption that a later approval, a change of category or a new admission will cure earlier unauthorized work.
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.