Read the general life across the border overview
Hypothetical example: a Nashwaak household moves on a managerial transfer, and the spouse expects to keep her position with a Canadian employer, working from the new house. Her status permits employment, so the answer is more comfortable than it would be in other categories, but the question is still worth asking properly, because the analysis turns on where the work is physically performed rather than on who signs the cheque.
Employment authorization comes from the status, not the employer
A spouse admitted in dependent status under a company transfer is employment-authorized incident to that status, which means she may work for any employer without a separate petition and is not tied to the transferring company. That covers work for a Canadian employer performed from the United States as readily as work for a local one. Keep evidence of status current and readily available, because employers, banks and payroll providers will all ask for it. And note the limit: the authorization lasts only as long as the principal holds valid status, so it ends with an assignment rather than with a job.
The practical questions are tax and payroll, not immigration
Working from the United States for a Canadian employer raises payroll, withholding, social security and tax residence questions on both sides of the border, and those are answered by an accountant rather than by an immigration rule. Many Canadian employers are unwilling to carry that administrative burden and will offer a contractor arrangement instead, which changes the tax analysis again and may change how the work is described. Raise it with the employer in writing before the move, because a verbal assurance from a manager rarely survives contact with a payroll department, and a spouse who assumed continuity may find the income stops in month two.
The children's position is different and does not improve
Children admitted as L-2 dependants may attend school but may not accept employment while physically in the United States, including remote work performed there for a Canadian employer, work in a family business or a U.S. summer job. L-2 status does not govern employment performed while the child is physically in Canada; Canadian law governs that activity. Their derivative status ends at twenty-one, and that date does not move because a course of study is unfinished. Where a child is close to that age, identify the alternative early, since student status has its own application, timing and evidence. Keep one page listing every household member with a date of birth, status and intended activity, and review it before every extension.
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.