After the work authorisation question is settled, not alongside it. Dependants in this category may generally study but hold no work permission, which shapes the household budget.
Household commitments come after, not during
Families routinely enrol children and commit to housing while the principal's route is still unresolved, and both are expensive to unwind. The sequencing rule is the same as everywhere else in this plan: the reversible investigation happens first and the binding commitments happen last. It matters here because the dependent classification attached to this category carries no employment authorisation, so a household planning on two incomes needs to know that before it commits to a cost of living. Dependants may generally attend school under the published guidance on which nonimmigrant classes may study. A spouse who intends to work needs an independent basis assessed on their own occupation and qualifications, and that assessment belongs early in the sequence.
A first household review should list each person’s proposed activity, income assumption, school timing, and independent option. The record that settles the dependent question is the classification rule, not an employer’s informal assurance. Put the principal’s authorization date beside lease and enrollment deadlines, then identify which commitments can be delayed. The decision is whether the move remains affordable if only the principal may work through this route. If a spouse expects to earn, assess a separate work basis before relying on that income. Hypothetical example: a theatre-set designer’s partner plans to accept local freelance commissions, so the couple checks an independent status route before signing a twelve-month apartment lease.