TD dependent status does not itself authorize employment. A spouse intending to work needs a separate assessment, even when the nurse's job and documents are ready.
Keep the household's income plan realistic
Discuss the spouse's intended activity before relying on a second salary. If there is another offer, bring it as a separate proposal. The nurse's certification or professional licence does not create the spouse's work permission, and children's circumstances should be considered independently.
Prepare a household plan that assigns a proposed activity and immigration basis to each person. A spouse or child in TD status cannot work in that status, although study is permitted; employment is possible only if the person is otherwise authorized by DHS. Collect passports, marriage and birth records, the principal’s TN evidence, school plans, and any separate job offer. A mistake is budgeting around the spouse’s salary because the nursing position is secure. Decide before travel whether the spouse will refrain from employment or seek an independently available authorization, and do not let an employer’s preferred start date answer that legal question.
Hypothetical example: A London dialysis nurse plans to enter in TN status while a spouse, who is a bookkeeper, has been offered remote work by a U.S. company. The couple confirms Canadian citizenship, listed professional role, credential, and contract. They then assess the spouse’s proposal separately. If the spouse enters as TD without another DHS authorization, the bookkeeping cannot begin, even from home. The spouse may study, and the children’s school arrangements can proceed consistently with TD, but neither fact creates employment permission.