Each joining spouse and unmarried child under 21 must be considered in the initial application, and each adds a nonrefundable US$15,000 fee and a US$1 million gift. Because they are part of the case from the outset, plan for their documents, any interview requirements, and their travel arrangements alongside the principal's rather than afterwards.
Align the school year with an uncertain step
A term date is fixed; an interview date is not. Ask the receiving school whether a mid-year entry is possible and what notice the current school requires, then decide which is easier to change. Keep each child's passport validity, civil documents and any medical records current, since a request affecting one family member can hold the whole case.
Two plans, one for an early move and one for a late one, cost little to prepare. Prepare two versions of the household plan rather than one, because the cost of preparing the second is a few hours and the cost of not having it is a decision made in a week. One version assumes an early move, the other a late one, and each specifies schools, housing, notice periods and what happens to the family's current arrangements.
Ask counsel which family member's documents are most likely to generate a request, since a single missing item for one child can hold the entire case, and that person's records are worth checking first rather than last.