Children do not receive employment permission solely through L dependent status.
Separate schooling from work
They may study while maintaining applicable status, but school participation does not extend their stay or confer employment authorization. Hypothetical example: a Canadian water-treatment-controls specialist receives an L-1B assignment, while her spouse plans to freelance as a graphic designer and their sixteen-year-old wants a weekend job after starting high school. Separate the spouse’s proposal from the child’s proposal before making travel arrangements.
A qualifying spouse in L-2 status may be employment authorized incident to status and may generally work with appropriate evidence of that status; a child in L-2 may attend school but does not gain employment authorization solely from being the principal’s child. The decisive records are passports, evidence of the legal relationship, admission documents, and the principal’s current L evidence, not a family member’s offer letter. The first review should produce individual action lists: application or admission materials, school requirements, proposed work, and any status-date risks.
Do not assume that a remote client, online platform, or unpaid trial makes an activity irrelevant; the facts of each arrangement require attention. If the family will arrive later, verify that the principal remains in valid qualifying status and that the relationship documentation is ready. Problems often appear when a child nears 21 or a spouse begins earning before confirming the available proof.
Keep U.S. tax, employment, and immigration questions distinct, and obtain appropriate advice for each. A dependent classification supports family unity but does not create identical permissions for every family member.