Yes. An E-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to status and may accept employment. Children in E-2 dependent status may study but not work, and dependent eligibility ends at twenty-one.
One spouse working outside the business is often the plan
Families buying a small enterprise frequently rely on a second income while the business is being rebuilt, and this classification accommodates that. Employment authorization for an E-2 spouse arises from the status itself rather than requiring a separate permission before employment may begin, though in practice the couple should sort out the documentation an employer will want to see before a start date is agreed. The spouse may work for the family enterprise or for an unrelated employer. Children are treated differently and the difference is absolute: study at any level is permitted, employment is not. Because dependent status ends at twenty-one, a family with an older teenager should map the birthdays against the expected timeline at the outset, and should ask what independent options exist for that child rather than assuming the family status will simply extend.
Hypothetical example: A Canadian owner of an independent cinema acquires a small theatre in Washington, while her spouse expects to teach music and their eighteen-year-old wants a paid summer placement. The household should decide these issues before moving. A qualifying E-2 spouse may work based on status, provided the prospective employer can complete its verification process; children may attend school but cannot take employment and cease to qualify as dependants at twenty-one. The business itself must remain treaty-owned, funded by capital already committed and subject to risk, and capable of more than minimal support for the investor. A student job is not transformed into permitted activity because the family business is successful. The useful first checklist pairs each family member's planned activity with a lawful category and calendars the child's age-out date against the business launch schedule.