A forecast expense and an actual qualifying commitment are not automatically the same thing.
Separate the forecast from the investment account
Document how funds have actually been committed and assess their treatment. Future payroll helps explain operating needs but should not be counted as already spent merely to raise the investment total.
Reconcile the investment schedule to money actually transferred, contracts signed, equipment acquired, deposits exposed to loss and any properly structured escrow. Put future wages in the operating forecast until they are genuinely committed; multiplying projected payroll does not increase the present investment. E-2 requires lawful funds that are substantial in relation to the business and irrevocably at risk, alongside treaty nationality, qualifying enterprise ownership, and the investor's development and direction through majority ownership or operational control. The business must be real and nonmarginal. Review debt security carefully because borrowing secured by enterprise assets is treated differently from qualifying personal borrowing. Maintain separate totals for government charges, professional services, family reserves and investment capital. E-2 status itself is not a direct permanent-residence route.
Hypothetical example: A Bégin cabinetmaker budgets twelve months of future wages for a planned US workshop and wants to count the full forecast immediately. She instead documents the machinery deposit, lease obligation, inventory payment and available operating funds, then shows wages month by month as expenses. This prevents an optimistic staffing schedule from being mistaken for capital already exposed to commercial risk.