Read the general life across the border overview
A Saint-Lazare household may have several documents concerning the same relative. Identify which authentic record supports the actual relationship and which document answers a different question, such as identity or travel. A first review should make a separate row for every family member: relationship, age, citizenship, passport status, proposed work or study, and the principal applicant’s route. It should also identify which relationship record proves the connection and whether any person needs independent work authority. Hypothetical example: a veterinary-pathology manager plans a transfer, while the spouse expects to accept employment and one child plans post-secondary study. The decision is whether the household can use dependent status for its actual plans or whether one person needs a separate immigration strategy.
Keep relationship evidence separate from shared arrangements
The relevant TD, E and L dependent categories generally concern a qualifying spouse and unmarried children under 21. A shared address or travel booking does not establish the complete relationship condition. Record each person’s actual citizenship and document requirements rather than applying the principal’s treatment to everyone. Build the family record from authentic marriage, birth, adoption, identity, and prior-status documents. Put different surnames, translations, and prior marriages on a dated explanation list instead of changing a label to fit a form. The first review should show which document settles each relationship fact and which record still needs to be obtained.
Identify gaps without changing the record
Hypothetical example: two authentic documents use different names or dates that need explanation. Preserve the originals and identify the real discrepancy. Do not rewrite a civil fact in a translation or assume that excluding the inconvenient document resolves the eligibility question. Match each person’s planned activity to the proposed status before making employment or school commitments. A TD spouse may study but does not have employment authorization from TD alone; qualifying L and E spouses may have employment authorization incident to their status, subject to the applicable rules. Dependent children do not receive work permission merely through L dependent status, and age limits require individual attention.
Keep other permissions on their own basis
A relationship record does not itself authorize work or extend stay. TD does not permit employment; qualifying E and L spouses may work incident to valid status with appropriate evidence, while children do not gain that benefit. School enrollment does not extend dependent status, and immigrant CSPA questions require a separate assessment rather than a general freeze of temporary age limits. Sequence the household decision by confirming the principal’s route, then testing every dependent’s travel, study, and work plan against it. Keep a calendar of passport validity, proposed moves, school dates, and any later independent application. That approach exposes a dependent-work problem early, when the family can choose a different principal or defer a commitment instead of discovering the conflict after arrival.
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.