A qualifying spouse in L-2 status is employment-authorized incident to status under current policy, shown by the notation on the arrival record. Children in dependent status may attend school but cannot work, and unmarried children under twenty-one are the ones who qualify as derivatives.
Plan around the notation and the birthdays
Two practical items decide most of what a family experiences. The first is the notation on the spouse's arrival record, which is what an American employer will want to see; check it at admission rather than discovering a problem when a job offer arrives. The second is any child's age, because derivative status for children rests on being unmarried and under twenty-one, and that changes on a date nobody can move. If a child will approach that age during the assignment, raise it with counsel at the start of the process, not at the end. School enrolment is generally straightforward for dependants and is a separate matter from work authorization, though the two are often confused in the same conversation.
Hypothetical example: Beatrice, a rail-signalling configuration specialist, needs to coordinate school records while her transfer dates remain tentative. She should build the family plan around the petition validity and each person’s admission record, not around the school term alone. A qualifying L-2 spouse may work incident to status, but an L-2 child may study without receiving employment authorization and ages out at twenty-one. The principal’s evidence remains distinct: related operating organizations, one continuous qualifying year abroad and specialized company knowledge tied to the U.S. duties. The assignment calendar should also account for the five-year L-1B maximum before the household commits to a longer plan.