The promotion date does not establish the spouse’s immigration status or work permission. Review the spouse’s own process and evidence.
Separate company milestones from individual authorization
A qualifying L spouse may work incident to valid status with appropriate evidence, but the principal’s promotion alone does not grant it. Record intended work, travel and status dates. Dependent children do not receive the same benefit. Keep household income assumptions conditional until the actual authorization position is understood.
Hypothetical example: a transferred executive’s spouse is a pastry instructor who receives a request to teach weekend classes after arrival. The family should first confirm each person’s status, admission record, and intended activity; an offer letter alone is not permission to start. With the appropriate status evidence, a qualifying L-2 spouse may accept employment without a separate EAD, while dependent children may study but are not given that work benefit. Keep the spouse’s prospective employer, dates, location, and role in a separate file from the principal’s petition. This avoids treating the transfer approval as a blanket household work authorization. If a teenager wants paid tutoring or an online business, assess that activity separately rather than assuming a family business label changes the rule. The first review should produce a timeline for travel, admission, school enrollment, and any start date, with contingencies if status evidence is delayed or differs from the plan. Do not make irrevocable employment promises based only on a petition filing.