TD status depends on the principal maintaining valid TN classification, so anything that puts the principal's classification in question affects dependants indirectly. The shareholding itself does not change what TD permits: dependants may study and are not employment-authorized.
One question about the principal, four people affected
This is the practical reason to resolve an ownership question before a family relocates rather than afterwards. If the arrangement is later treated as self-employment, the consequence is not confined to the principal's own position; a spouse and children whose status derives from it are affected at the same time, in the middle of a school year and a lease. Households in this position should also consider whether a second adult holds qualifications supporting an independent route, which would give the family a second basis rather than a single point of failure.
Unmarried children under twenty-one may hold TD and attend school, and dependent status ends at twenty-one regardless of circumstances. A licensed adviser should assess the household as a whole. Hypothetical example: Oskar has a TN offer from an artisan-furniture importer while his spouse is deciding whether to leave a salaried job.
A household audit should generate a status map showing the principal’s employment terms, each dependent’s passport validity, school dates and any independent qualification held by the other adult. The employment agreement and corporate-control record settle whether the principal’s route is stable; a child’s birth record settles the age question. The useful sequence is to test the principal’s eligibility before giving notice or signing a lease.
A household error is assuming a dependent spouse can begin work after arrival; TD status does not confer work permission.