Read the general investor planning overview
Hypothetical example: Rasheed owns a hydraulic repair shop in Bonfield, rebuilding cylinders and pumps for forestry and construction equipment. He wants to start a mobile hydraulic service in the United States from scratch, with a service truck, a small shop and two technicians. There is no business to buy, so his investment will be built out of purchases he makes before anyone has approved anything. The order in which he spends decides whether that money supports his case or simply disappears.
Why the sequence matters more than the total
E-2 asks whether capital has been irrevocably committed and placed at risk in a real, operating enterprise, and an applicant starting from nothing has to demonstrate that before the enterprise has customers. Money spent in a way that leaves him free to walk away with it intact does not show commitment. Money spent on assets and obligations that would be lost if the venture failed does. That means a signed commercial lease, a purchased and outfitted service truck, tooling, insurance, licensing and a payroll commitment read very differently from a balance left sitting in an account earmarked for later use.
Spending that documents itself
Each expenditure should generate a record that a stranger can follow: an invoice in the business name, payment from a traceable account, a delivery or registration document, and a place in a schedule that ties to the total investment figure. Rasheed should open the business account early and run everything through it rather than paying personally and reimbursing later, because personal payments create a second layer of explanation. Escrow arrangements can protect him commercially, but funds recoverable at will are not committed, so any escrow should release on approval rather than remain refundable at his discretion. A written business plan gives the schedule its context and supports the non-marginality question.
What to have in place before the application, and what can wait
Before applying, he wants the lease, the core equipment, the corporate formation with the ownership split fixed, the licences and insurance, and the source and path evidence for every dollar. What can reasonably follow approval is hiring beyond a first employee, additional trucks, and expansion of the customer base, provided the plan explains the timing. The enterprise must be more than marginal, meaning it should do more than provide a minimal living for Rasheed and his family, so the plan needs a credible route to employing people. His spouse would be employment-authorized incident to E-2 status, which is worth factoring into the household budget for the first year.
What else is on your mind?
Is there one minimum investment that guarantees E-2 eligibility?Is holding money or owning an asset enough for E-2?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.