Read the general life across the border overview
Frequent travel by the principal applicant is a fact to describe accurately, not a number to manage. Dependent status rests on the principal's status and on each person's own admission record, so begin by writing down what every member of the household actually holds and until when. There is no universal rule that a fixed number of days outside the country ends a dependent's status, and no figure circulating informally should be treated as a safe limit.
Record the basis, not just the household
For each person, note the classification, the date of admission, the I-94 record, the expiry date, and the relationship the status depends on. TD status is available to a spouse and to unmarried children under twenty-one; cohabitation without marriage does not make a partner a qualifying spouse. Study is permitted in TD status, employment is not, and an unpaid activity deserves specific review rather than an assumption that volunteering is either always allowed or always barred. Qualifying E and L dependent spouses are employment-authorized incident to their valid status with proper I-94 evidence; children are not covered by the same work rule.
Describe the travel pattern as it really is
Hypothetical example, given to show what to gather and not as a description of any family in Saint-Lambert: the principal spends most weeks travelling for the employer while the spouse and children remain in the United States. The questions worth preparing are where the duties are actually performed, whether the employment described in the filing still matches the work being done, what record exists of the principal's own departures and admissions, and how each dependent's status continues to depend on the principal maintaining status. Bring the travel records themselves rather than a summary from memory.
Cover availability and the open questions
Separately from immigration, list the practical arrangements a frequently absent parent should settle in advance: who can consent to school and medical decisions, who is reachable in an emergency, what documentation a child may need to travel with one parent, and what happens if the assignment ends or relocates. Then take the immigration questions to counsel in that form: how does this travel pattern interact with the basis of each person's status, and what evidence should the household keep. Ask for an assessment of the actual pattern instead of asking for a permitted day count.
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.