A qualifying E-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to status. The individual's status documentation should still be checked directly, since a separate employment authorization document is not universally required. Dependent children do not receive employment authorization simply through E-2 status.
List each household member's actual plans
Record every family member's citizenship, relationship documentation, age, and intended work or study activity. The spouse's own employment plans and documentation are a separate question from the investor's authority to run the enterprise. Discuss any independent employment plans and the children's future status questions explicitly, rather than assuming a shared business plan settles the whole household's arrangements. The dependent framework generally covers a spouse and unmarried children under 21; each person must obtain and maintain the appropriate status.
If the spouse wants a principal E-2 claim, independently test treaty nationality, ownership of 50 percent or more, or genuine operational control, and responsibility to develop and direct the enterprise. Explain whether the spouse holds real decision rights and how they affect the principal’s development-and-direction claim instead of using a family title to conceal unresolved control.