A purchase does not establish the spouse’s immigration status or work permission. Qualifying E spouses are employment authorized incident to status, with the appropriate documentation.
Separate business ownership from activity
Describe the intended role and when and where work would begin. Review the spouse’s individual status and evidence. Children do not receive work permission solely through E dependent status, and family study plans do not eliminate the need to maintain valid status. The dependent categories cover a qualifying spouse and unmarried children under 21. Check each person’s relationship, age and period of authorized stay rather than extending a permission from another household member.
The principal’s case separately requires treaty nationality for the investor and enterprise—Canadian citizenship, not permanent residence, where Canada supplies the nationality—at least 50% treaty-national ownership, and development and direction. Each family member has their own process and eligibility, and a derivative’s eligibility depends on the principal, while appointments and outcomes need not coincide, so plan schooling and job searches without assuming shared dates. Keep proof of the marriage and each child's birth ready for the consular interview, and remember that E-2 gives the family no path to permanent residence on its own; if that is the goal, it should be discussed as a separate question.