Ownership or a purchase agreement does not itself authorize work. A qualifying E spouse is employment authorized incident to status with appropriate documentation.
Separate the closing from status
Children gain no work permission solely through E dependent status. Identify when each person actually holds the relevant status before counting their work in the operating plan.
Children age out at twenty-one, and because E-2 status can be maintained for a long time through extensions, a family that arrives with a fifteen-year-old should think now about what happens when that child finishes school. The principal must be the person with treaty nationality who commits the capital and directs the business; the classification cannot be assigned to whichever partner finds it more convenient. A still-valid visa may permit a request for admission, but it does not extend a stay already granted; continued business eligibility also does not silently extend status. The recurring mistake is assuming the investor’s nationality, an employer’s approval, or dependent status gives everyone identical rights. A spouse's outside earnings support the household but they are not the enterprise's income, and marginality is assessed on what the business can generate, not on total family income.