If the applicant's Canadian citizenship is still pending, family relocation planning should wait for that outcome, or for a decision on pursuing a different route, before firm commitments are made. Dependents' own status would similarly depend on which route the applicant ultimately qualifies under.
Do not plan the household around an unconfirmed route
A spouse and children's own plans depend entirely on which immigration category the applicant ultimately qualifies for, which is unresolved in this scenario until the citizenship question is settled. Avoid discussing school enrollment, housing, or work plans for family members until that foundational question has an answer, since the entire route, not just the timing, is still open. Hold every household conversation about schooling, housing, and a spouse's employment until the route itself is known, because what is unresolved here is not the timing but the category.
Dependants' own status would follow whichever classification the applicant ultimately qualifies for, and those categories differ in what they offer a spouse and in what documents each person needs. Where citizenship is pending, decide as a household whether to wait for it or to explore another route now, and set a date to revisit that decision rather than letting it drift. Committing to a lease or a school place around an unconfirmed route creates a cost no later approval refunds.
Write down which option was chosen.