Yes. An L-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to status and may be hired by the plant or by any other employer on the same terms as other workers, provided the job is genuinely his own.
Independent spouse employment, kept apart from the petition
Once admitted in L-2 status with the spouse annotation on the admission record, the husband is considered employment-authorized and may accept work anywhere in the United States, including at the subsidiary that employs his wife. The plant would hire him as it would any local applicant. The one caution is evidentiary: the L-1B petition should not depend on his labour to correct the audit findings or to staff the inspection function, since the case rests on her knowledge and the plant’s existing capacity to support her assignment.
Children in L-2 status may attend school but may not work. All dependants’ statuses end with hers, so if the plant’s remediation finishes early and the company recalls her, the household leaves together unless another status is obtained. Hypothetical example: a semiconductor-testing firm transfers an engineer whose spouse wants to begin freelance work immediately.
The family should wait until the spouse’s L-2 admission record is correct before invoicing anyone. The principal’s L-1B approval is evidence of the transfer, but it does not by itself authorize the spouse’s work. The children may study, so school registration can proceed with their own admission records and passport details.
The family should also check passport expiry before booking a school term.