A spouse admitted in E-2 status is employment-authorized incident to that status. But the principal investor is the person who must develop and direct the enterprise, and an arrangement where the principal remains in Canada raises a question about who is actually running it.
Delegating operations is fine; delegating direction is not
Hypothetical example: one electrician plans to stay in Coaldale for the first year to keep the Alberta work going, while his partner's spouse manages the American office. The spouse's ability to work is not the difficulty. The difficulty is that the investor must develop and direct the enterprise, and a principal who is absent, uninvolved and dependent on others for every decision does not obviously do that.
Describe honestly who makes the decisions, how often the principal is present and what authority is delegated. Consider whether both buyers should be applicants. Children admitted as derivatives may attend school but are not authorized to work on that basis, and derivative eligibility ends at twenty-one.
Because E-2 offers no direct route to permanent residence, a family expecting to remain indefinitely should understand that limitation before committing funds.