TD status does not authorize employment in the United States, and working remotely from a U.S. address for a Canadian employer is generally treated as employment performed in the United States. A spouse who needs income should look at whether they qualify for a status of their own.
The dependent status permits study, not work
TD is the dependent classification for the spouse and unmarried minor children of a TN professional. It permits the holder to live in the United States and to study there, and it does not permit employment. The remote-work question comes up constantly and the conservative reading is the one to plan around: the location of the person doing the work matters, so continuing a Canadian job from a kitchen table in the United States is not a safe workaround. Households in this position have three realistic options. The spouse qualifies for their own classification, in which case they should apply on their own facts. The spouse accepts a period without employment. Or the family reconsiders the whole route, because some other classifications do allow a spouse to work. That last comparison is worth making before anyone resigns a job.
Hypothetical example: Rafael receives a temporary offer as an urban planner in California, while his spouse operates a Canadian online pottery shop. Before the family relocates, they should decide whether the spouse will pause all work performed from the United States, obtain an independent status, or remain in Canada until the work issue is resolved. TD classification permits residence and study for a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one, but it does not authorize employment. The practical record is not a business registration in Canada; it is where the person performs the work and under what authority. Treating remote orders as harmless can create a status problem. The first review should also calendar every child's twenty-first birthday and distinguish school enrolment from permission to earn income.