The same L-2 analysis as any other case: eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 may seek L-2 status, and a qualifying spouse is employment-authorized incident to status.
Review dependents independently of the ownership question
Create a separate record for each accompanying person rather than attaching the ownership schedule as if it answered the family questions. Start with passports, the marriage or birth record and the planned activity after arrival. If a spouse already holds permanent residence, establish that actual position before preparing an L-2 request they may not need. For someone seeking L-2, the principal’s approved transfer does not itself grant the family member status: check the individual classification, validity dates and spouse-designated I-94 where applicable. Children do not receive the spouse’s employment authorization. Keep proposed school and employment starts conditional on the permissions each person actually holds; the owner’s business-opening date need not be everyone’s arrival date.
Prepare the principal and each relative on separate timelines. Confirm relationship evidence, passports, travel, and the principal's petition and status before anyone commits to work or school. Valid L-2 status authorizes spouses to work incident to that status; preserve the spouse-designated admission record needed for employment verification. Children do not receive this spousal authorization. A spouse who already holds permanent residence needs a different status and travel analysis, not an unnecessary L-2 plan. The common mistake is assuming the shareholder's approval automatically gives every relative identical dates, classification, or work permission.
Hypothetical example: The owner-manager of a Tecumseh produce-wholesaling business plans a U.S. subsidiary while a spouse hopes to take a purchasing job and a university-age child expects campus employment. The household gathers marriage and birth records and sequences each arrival against the principal's case. The spouse confirms L-2 documentation before accepting work; the child treats study and employment as separate questions. The business launch remains distinct from each person's travel choice.