Your family can usually come with you, but whether your spouse can work depends entirely on which visa route you are on. On the EB-3 green card route, your spouse can work. On the temporary H-2B and TN routes, your spouse and children can come and can study, but they cannot work, and that is a hard rule with no workaround. Children can generally join as unmarried dependents under 21 on every route. The single biggest thing to get right before you move is your spouse's work situation, because families plan their budget around two incomes and then discover, too late, that only one of them is allowed to earn. Sort this out with an immigration attorney before you commit.
The rule that decides everything: which route are you on?
Dependents ride on the primary worker's status, so the primary route sets what everyone else can do. There are three common trade routes, and they treat families very differently.
EB-3 green card: your spouse can work
The EB-3 is the permanent, green card route. You can bring your spouse and your unmarried children under 21 as derivative beneficiaries on the same immigrant petition. In 2026 the derivative visa symbols for the skilled and professional EB-3 categories are E-34 for your spouse and E-35 for each child. (You may also see EW-4 and EW-5, but those belong only to the unskilled "Other Workers" sub-category, EW-4 for the spouse and EW-5 for the child. Consular officers assign the right code; you do not need to.)
On work rights, the EB-3 is the generous one:
- While your adjustment of status (Form I-485) is pending and your priority date is current, your spouse can apply for an EAD (Form I-765) and work for any US employer.
- Once the green card itself is issued, your spouse's green card is their work authorization. They do not need a separate EAD at that point; they can work like any permanent resident.
So on the EB-3 route, a two-income household is realistic. The catch is time, not permission: the EB-3 is a multi-step, sometimes multi-year process, and the work rights arrive at specific stages. See the EB-3 guide for how the stages sequence.
H-2B seasonal visa: family can come, but cannot work
On the temporary H-2B route, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany you under H-4 dependent status. But in 2026 H-4 dependents of an H-2B worker cannot work in the US. This is a firm rule. There is no H-4 work-permit pathway for H-2B families; the H-4 EAD route that some people have heard of applies only to certain H-1B families in the green card process, not to H-2B.
What H-4 dependents can do:
- They can study without restriction.
- They must leave the US when your H-2B status ends, because their status is tied to yours.
If your household needs two incomes, the H-2B is not the route that delivers it. Plan your finances around a single earner for the season, and do not rely on your spouse "finding something once we are there."
TN visa: dependents cannot work at all
On the TN route (for eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals), your spouse and children enter on TD (Trade Dependent) status. In 2026 TD holders cannot work in the US under any circumstances. This is stricter than it may first appear: it includes unpaid work and even remote work for a foreign employer performed while physically in the US. If your spouse plans to keep their overseas job and log in from a US kitchen table, that is not permitted on TD.
What TD dependents can do:
- They can study without restriction.
As with H-2B, if two incomes matter to you, the TN route does not provide them, and you should factor that in before you move.
The honest summary
- EB-3 (green card): spouse E-34, child E-35. Spouse can work (EAD while the case is pending, green card on arrival). Children can study. Yes to a two-income household, over time.
- H-2B (seasonal): dependents on H-4. Cannot work. Can study. Family leaves when your status ends.
- TN (USMCA professionals): dependents on TD. Cannot work at all, including remote work. Can study.
None of this is a comment on how hard your spouse is willing to work. It is purely a function of the visa category, and it is one of the most common places families get an unpleasant surprise. Because these rules change and your situation may have wrinkles, treat the route choice and its family consequences as a conversation to have with a licensed immigration attorney before you decide.
Common questions
Can my spouse work in the US if I come on a work visa?
It depends on your route. On the EB-3 green card route your spouse can work (with an EAD while the case is pending, and automatically once the green card is issued). On the temporary H-2B and TN routes, your spouse cannot work at all, though they can study. H-4 dependents of an H-2B worker have no work-permit pathway, and TD dependents of a TN worker cannot work under any circumstances, including remote work for a foreign employer. If a second income matters, choose the route with that in mind and confirm with an immigration attorney.
Can my children come with me, and can they go to school?
Yes. On the common trade routes, your unmarried children under 21 can join you as dependents, and dependent children can study without restriction on every one of these routes. Beyond that, any child living in the US has a constitutional right to free public K-12 education regardless of immigration status, which is covered in a separate guide. The route your family is on affects work rights, not the right to study. Confirm the specifics for your children with an immigration attorney, since ages and categories have precise definitions.
Is there any way for an H-4 or TD dependent to get a work permit?
Not on the H-2B or TN routes. There is no H-4 work-permit pathway for the dependents of an H-2B worker, and TD dependents of a TN worker cannot obtain work authorization at all. The H-4 EAD option people sometimes hear about applies only to certain H-1B families already in the green card process, which is a different route. Do not plan on a workaround here; there is not one. If two incomes are essential, that points you toward the EB-3 or another route, which is a decision to make with an attorney.
Can my spouse keep working remotely for their employer back home while we're in the US?
Generally no, not on a TD dependent status, which prohibits work including remote work for a foreign employer performed while physically in the US. H-4 dependents of an H-2B worker also cannot work. This surprises a lot of families who assume a home-country job "does not count" because the employer is abroad. Physically working from inside the US is what triggers the rule. Because the line here is specific and the stakes are high, get your spouse's exact situation checked by a licensed immigration attorney before relying on any remote-work plan.
The honest bit
- This is general information about how dependent visas treat family members, not legal or immigration advice. Your family's exact eligibility, the right categories, and any recent rule changes are matters for a licensed immigration attorney (aila.org) or a DOJ/EOIR-recognized accredited nonprofit, not a notario or unlicensed consultant.
- Visa categories, symbols, and work rules are federal and current for 2026, but they change. Verify at uscis.gov and travel.state.gov, and do not rely on a recruiter's summary of what your family can do.
- The route mechanics (how EB-3, H-2B, and TN work) are covered in their own guides. This guide is about the family and work-rights consequences of each.
- Be wary of anyone who promises your spouse can "easily get a work permit" on a route that does not allow it. That is a red flag. Real answers come from a licensed attorney.
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Keep reading
Templates you might need
Sources
- USCIS - I-765, Application for Employment Authorization · A dependent's right to work is not automatic: it depends on the dependent classification and, where it exists, on filing for an Employment Authorization Document
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