An eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 may seek L-2 status. A qualifying L-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to that status, while L-2 children do not receive work authorization simply by virtue of their status.
Review each family member's documentation individually
Record citizenship, the relationship evidence, age, and the planned arrival date for each person. Confirm the spouse's actual status documentation rather than assuming a particular document is always required or is the only acceptable evidence. Keep children's schooling plans separate from questions about work authorization or aging out of dependent status, since the principal applicant's proposed start date does not automatically resolve those questions.
For a child, school attendance is generally the practical focus; an employment offer, paid placement, or business activity should not be assumed permissible simply because the parent holds L-1A. The permission belongs to a spouse in a legally recognised marriage; a partner who is not married to the principal is outside the derivative scheme altogether and needs an independent basis.