Identify the actual capital invested by the applicant rather than the project’s total value alone.
Connect valuation with ownership and contribution
An appraisal may concern assets owned by other parties or an overall development. Explain the real investment transaction and qualifying treatment instead of claiming a share of project value without evidence of the contribution.
Begin with the applicant’s transaction, not the enterprise’s headline valuation. Identify the amount and form of capital contributed, the recipient, ownership acquired, transfer dates, and whether the funds remain at risk. Trace the lawful source and complete path through every account. Current statutory amounts are US$1,050,000 generally or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project, subject to filing-date verification. The plan must support ten full-time positions for qualifying US workers and the investor’s management or policy role. Regional-center investors use Form I-526E, while direct investors use Form I-526. An appraisal may support a specific asset value, but it cannot replace those requirements or attribute another owner’s property to the applicant.
Hypothetical example: A custom-woodworking business owner in Rivière-Éternité reviews a project advertised with a high appraised value. She obtains subscription documents, capital-account records, wire confirmations, and source-of-funds evidence showing only her actual contribution. The project separately explains the job-creation method and whether the filing is regional-center or direct. Her analysis applies the correct threshold to the project’s documented classification. The appraisal remains an exhibit about named assets; it is not multiplied by her ownership percentage and relabelled as invested cash.