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NEW TECUMSETH · TN FIELD GUIDE

Would my shareholding affect my family's TD status when we move from New Tecumseth?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

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.