TD is a dependent classification and does not itself give work permission. Whether a proposed internship is employment requires careful fact-specific review before it begins.
Do not let the word internship decide the issue
First describe the arrangement in operational terms: who supervises, what work product is created, where the organization is located, whether the activity replaces ordinary labour, and what money, credit, or benefit changes hands. A university’s description may be relevant, yet it does not by itself settle U.S. work authorization.
TD dependents can study, so a genuine course requirement can matter, but paid or productive activity can introduce a different analysis. Record the child’s age, status document, school enrolment, and intended dates. Then ask the host and school for documents that accurately state their roles rather than requesting language designed to reach a desired answer.
The principal TN holder’s employer has no automatic power to authorize the child’s activity. If the household expects a work-capable dependent option, that should be evaluated as a separate immigration planning question, with attention to eligibility and timing. Keeping the proposed internship off the calendar until its authorization is understood is usually safer than treating a remote format as outside U.S.
rules. The family should also consider where the activity is physically performed, who benefits from it, and whether travel is contemplated. These details prevent a planning conversation from becoming a hidden work arrangement.
Written clarity from the school and host is valuable, but it should describe facts rather than announce a legal conclusion.