A qualifying E-2 spouse is generally employment-authorized incident to valid status rather than through a separate permission, but the household should verify the actual evidence of that status, such as an E-2S notation or the admission record, before anyone accepts an offer. Unmarried children under twenty-one may hold dependent status; that status does not authorize them to work.
Do not staff the company with unauthorized help
A small online operation is tempting to run with whoever is at the kitchen table, but packing orders and answering customers are work. Decide in advance which family members are permitted to perform tasks for the business, and price paid help for the rest. If a spouse's earnings are part of the relocation budget, confirm the status evidence first and keep a fallback in case employment starts later than hoped.
Decide in advance which family members may perform tasks for the business and price paid help for the rest, because packing orders and answering customers are work regardless of where the kitchen table sits. A small online operation is tempting to staff with whoever is available, and that temptation is the practical risk in this scenario. A qualifying spouse is generally employment authorised incident to valid status rather than through a separate permission, so verify the actual evidence of that status before anyone accepts an offer, and note that unmarried children under twenty-one may hold dependent status which does not authorise them to work.
Where a spouse's earnings are part of the budget, keep a fallback.