A dependent can later pursue their own case if they obtain a qualifying professional offer, but that is a separate process with its own requirements and timing rather than an automatic conversion. Ask counsel what the change would involve before choosing TD as a placeholder.
Treat TD as a decision, not a waiting room
Choosing TD because an offer has not arrived yet is reasonable, provided everyone understands what it means in the meantime: study is permitted, employment is not, and there is no blanket rule allowing work while a later application is pending. Unmarried children under 21 may also qualify, while a child who is a United States citizen does not need TD at all.
TD does not authorize employment; the spouse needs a separate lawful basis for work. Institutions set their own documentation, residency, and enrolment-level requirements, and some programs are structured around a study-based immigration status the professional does not hold. Get the accurate compensation in the signed offer before signing a lease, giving notice on a home, or planning around a single income. The first review should separate each dependent’s relationship and plans from the principal case. Children who turn twenty-one cease to be eligible dependants, which is a date to calculate rather than estimate.