TD does not authorize employment. A foreign employer or remote arrangement should not be assumed to remove the need for appropriate U.S. work authorization.
Sequence both adults’ plans
Describe the spouse’s intended activities and assess any independent route on its own facts. Eligible dependents may study while maintaining their status, but study does not create employment permission or extend their authorized stay. Review each person’s practical commitments separately. 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 remote-work question comes up constantly and the conservative reading is the one to plan around: the location of the person doing the work matters, so continuing a Canadian job from a kitchen table in the United States is not a safe workaround. Some households manage the risk by having the Canadian business run day to day by an on-site manager, with the spouse holding only an ownership interest and taking distributions rather than a salary for services performed while present. The principal must independently show citizenship of Canada or Mexico, an occupation named by USMCA with its required credentials, and prearranged US employment rather than self-employment; Canadian permanent residence alone is insufficient.