A spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany a TN professional in TD classification, which allows them to live in the United States and attend school but does not allow them to work. If a family member is not a Canadian citizen, they need a TD visa from a consulate before travelling.
TD follows the nurse's status and gives no work permission
Karina's husband can enter as a TD dependant, but the classification is derivative: it lasts only as long as her TN does and it carries no employment authorization of any kind, including remote work for a Canadian employer from U.S. soil, which is a question to raise with counsel rather than assume. The children can attend public or private school as TD dependants without a separate student status. If Karina's husband is not a Canadian citizen — say he holds Canadian permanent residence on a different passport — he cannot simply drive to the border with her; he needs a TD visa issued by a U.S. consulate, and that appointment should be booked as soon as her start date is known. A child who will turn 21 during the contract loses TD eligibility at that birthday and needs a plan of their own.
Hypothetical example: A landscape architect plans to relocate with a spouse who is a citizen of Brazil and a teenage son. The first review produces a separate status chart for the principal and each dependant, including passports, visa needs and the child’s age. The spouse’s nationality may require a dependant visa before travel even though the principal is Canadian. The important decision is whether the household can accept that TD status does not authorize the spouse to take paid work. A later job offer needs its own immigration analysis, not an informal change in the family’s plan.