Update material assumptions and reassess the actual supported business plan.
Use current demand evidence
Explain whether the withdrawal changes projected capacity or the operating strategy. Keeping a withdrawn expression of interest labelled as current support would misstate the facts rather than strengthen the application.
Remove the withdrawn customer from current support and recalculate revenue, staffing, cash needs, and the point at which the enterprise can operate. Then decide whether replacement evidence is genuine, the plan remains viable without that buyer, or submission should wait. E-2 eligibility does not depend on one letter, but it still requires treaty nationality, qualifying ownership or operational control, capital irrevocably committed and at risk, a substantial investment, and a real enterprise that is not marginal. A common mistake is retaining a stale letter because disclosure seems inconvenient; that can make the forecast internally inconsistent. The investor should also plan with the understanding that E-2 has no direct route to a green card.
Hypothetical example: A maple-product wholesaler in L’Anse-Saint-Jean plans a U.S. distribution company, but a prospective grocery buyer withdraws before submission. He should preserve the withdrawal, revise the sales model, check whether supplier minimums and warehouse commitments remain affordable, and update any hiring assumptions. Other authentic enquiries may still be used for what they show, without becoming invented orders. If the committed funds and remaining demand no longer support a credible nonmarginal operation, delaying or resizing the business is a practical decision—not a defect to hide.