Assess every accompanying person's relationship, age, intended activity, and sequence separately.
L1A planning question: family
L-dependent planning begins with relationship evidence and individual travel facts. A qualifying L spouse may be permitted to work by virtue of valid status when holding appropriate evidence, whereas children may study but do not receive general work permission through the derivative relationship. Record each person's passport, marital or birth record, intended work or school activity, and the date they expect to seek admission.
Hypothetical example: the principal moves first to establish an office and the spouse remains in Canada until a job opportunity develops. The spouse's own admission record and status evidence matter when employment is considered; the principal's payroll does not decide it. Also keep the principal's maximum L-1A period and any dependent-document expiry dates in the family calendar.
Discuss practical life plans without turning them into assumed immigration permissions. Housing, childcare, medical coverage, school registration, travel reservations, and remote work arrangements may all depend on the exact status eventually obtained. Build alternatives for a delayed arrival, a split household, or a family member whose intended activity cannot proceed as first imagined.
Keep relationship documents available in long form where possible and resolve name changes early. A family member should not conceal an activity simply because it is unpaid, occasional, or performed online. The honest description of an activity is the starting point for sound advice.
When a family fact changes, update the whole plan rather than adding an informal side note to an outdated principal application.