Read the general life across the border overview
A family file works best when each person’s citizenship, relationship, age, present status, school plan and work plan are recorded separately. Dependant status is not a universal answer to employment. Review the family file whenever a principal applicant changes employer, status, travel dates or investment plan. A dependent document may expire with the principal’s record, and a new work or school intention can require a different analysis. Keep copies together but make decisions person by person. Use the next review as a quality check rather than as a search for reassuring language. Compare the original documents with the account that will be given to the government, identify what is missing, and record who is responsible for obtaining it. If a material fact changes, revise the analysis before relying on the prior conclusion. Official sources and the current form instructions control over an old checklist, an anecdote, or a plan that no longer describes the activity. This approach does not predict an outcome; it helps ensure that a decision is taken with the relevant facts, dates and risks visible. Make a dated note of the conclusion, the official material consulted and the next event that requires a fresh check. This turns a broad guide into a practical record for the applicant, employer, family or business team. It also prevents a preliminary discussion from being repeated later as though it were an approval.
Inventory every person before choosing a dependent status
Hypothetical example: one parent is Canadian, the other is a Canadian permanent resident with another passport, and two children have different birthplaces. Start with passports, birth certificates, marriage or partnership proof, prior U.S. records and current locations. Citizenship, age and relationship are separate facts. A PR card cannot be substituted for citizenship where a route requires it.
Match the work plan to the actual status
A TD spouse cannot assume work permission, even for a Canadian employer online. A qualifying L-2 or E-2 spouse may have employment authorization incident to status, while children may study but do not acquire the same privilege. Explain every adult’s intended activity before travel; do not discover a work plan after the family has relocated.
Track age, school and expiry dates together
A child approaching 21, a school enrolment date and a principal applicant’s status expiry can create one planning problem with several deadlines. Keep a shared calendar but preserve individual documents. For immigrant processes, review visa availability and any applicable child-protection rules; for nonimmigrant dependants, verify the current status and intended activities.
Do not let travel evidence replace civil evidence
Tickets, hotel plans and family photographs can explain a plan, but they do not replace passports, official relationship records, custody documents where relevant or evidence of the principal’s classification. Prepare readable copies and translations where needed. A coherent family file makes it easier to see which person needs a separate immigration option.
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.