A pending plan for dependent status does not itself authorize work. The spouse’s current status, physical location and proposed activities must be assessed.
Check permission on the dates work would occur
Record the existing classification and any pending application, as well as where the spouse would perform the work. Foreign payroll is not by itself permission to work in the United States. Qualifying L spouses may work incident to valid status with appropriate evidence once that status applies. Do not backdate that benefit to an earlier waiting period.
For accompanying relatives, distinguish status from an intended activity. A qualifying L-2 spouse may work incident to valid L-2 status; an unmarried child under 21 may attend school but lacks that derivative work authorization. List each person’s passport, relationship evidence, date of birth, and professional licensing question. Hypothetical example: a water-quality sensor calibration specialist is transferred with a spouse who wants to open a paid music studio and a teenager who plans a part-time job. The spouse’s status evidence and local business requirements should be checked before launch; the teenager cannot rely on L-2 for employment. The first review produces separate action items for the family rather than a single ‘dependants approved’ conclusion. A principal’s five-year L-1B ceiling also matters to family planning because changes in the principal’s status can affect the derivative timeline.