TD status permits study, so a spouse or an unmarried child under 21 in TD may enrol. What TD does not do is authorize work, with remote work and unpaid placements requiring specific review, and that limit reaches school-linked roles such as assistantships as much as outside employment.
Apply the same work test to dependents
Give counsel the actual program requirements, including unpaid placements and practical activities, before the dependent commits. TD permits study but does not authorize employment. Review the dependent’s own admission validity and the principal’s status if employment changes; do not assume any interruption causes immediate loss without checking applicable protections. A U.S.-citizen child does not need TD.
TD status does not authorise employment in the United States, and that much is settled. TD covers the spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one of a TN professional. Providing translation services for the employer requires assessment under an appropriate lawful basis, even when the work is unpaid or the spouse knows both languages. A Canadian citizen may apply for TN at a port of entry without a visa stamp, or a U.S. employer may file Form I-129; TD dependants may study but may not work.