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APPLICATION ANSWERS · TN FIELD GUIDE

Can we plan a TN move around my spouse keeping a Canadian remote job?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

Do not assume that working for a Canadian company makes work from inside the United States permissible. TD dependent status does not itself give a spouse permission to work; assess that proposed employment before making the household budget depend on it.

Separate the job offer from the household income decision

Bring a short description of the spouse's intended work location, employer and duties to the consultation. Identify which moving expenses would become difficult if that income were unavailable. Another immigration option may need examination, but an alternative is not established merely because both partners have jobs. A useful outcome of the review is a clear unresolved question and the evidence needed to answer it, before leases, notice periods and moving dates become commitments. Dependent eligibility concerns an eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21; assess the individual status and authorized period.

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.