Assess the spouse’s own status and authorization for the proposed job. Qualifying L spouses may be employment-authorized incident to status with the required evidence, but the principal’s pending case does not grant that status. The client’s willingness to hire does not provide immigration permission.
Separate the two employment arrangements
Record the spouse’s duties, employer and intended start. Do not imply that the principal’s offsite authorization also covers the spouse. Dependent children do not receive the spouse’s employment permission through L status, and unpaid services need their own activity review.
Prepare a separate status and activity plan for each accompanying relative. The first review should record relationship evidence, document expirations, education plans, and any spouse employment plans, because the principal's assignment does not answer those questions. A qualifying L spouse can pursue employment based on the appropriate status and evidence; children can attend school yet lack matching employment authority. A maximum L-1B stay of five years also changes the family's planning horizon. Do not assume a family member can begin a job or business activity while a change request remains pending. The admission record and the individual's current category control the immediate answer.
Hypothetical example: a desalination-controls specialist relocates with a spouse who wants to open a tutoring studio. The spouse's own authorization must be confirmed before services are advertised or invoices are issued.