Explain the actual commitments and avoid adding value the investor has not acquired as though it were another payment.
Reconcile the budget with the transaction
Review the treatment of actual amounts paid or committed under the relevant terms. E-2 has no universal fixed minimum, and a larger total created by double counting does not strengthen the lawful at-risk investment evidence.
Use a transaction ledger that labels deposits, purchases, lease obligations, working capital, professional charges, and refundable amounts separately. E-2 has no universal dollar minimum; substantiality is assessed relative to the enterprise, so an invented higher total is not helpful. Count only the investor’s actual qualifying commitment and never add an asset’s entire value again when payments merely purchase its use. Evidence should show lawful funds placed irrevocably at risk, treaty nationality, a real business that will not be marginal, and at least 50 percent ownership or other operational control for development and direction. E-2 provides no direct green-card path, so budget planning should not imply one.
Hypothetical example: A heavy-equipment mechanic from Saint-David-de-Falardeau proposes a mobile hydraulic-repair business using a financed service truck. His budget should distinguish the down payment, enforceable financing terms, tools he purchases, and continuing rental charges. Adding the truck’s sticker price to every lease payment would double count value and obscure whether sufficient capital is genuinely committed to the operating enterprise.