Resolve the actual ownership and transaction terms with genuine records before relying on the list.
Explain the discrepancy rather than conceal it
Identify what transfers to the buyer and which third-party arrangements continue or remain unresolved. Do not silently change a lease into a purchase in the immigration account to increase the apparent investment.
Create a line-by-line reconciliation using the purchase agreement, bill of sale, lease, serial-number schedule, payment records, and any third-party consents. Ask the seller to correct genuine errors or provide a signed explanation before filing; do not silently rewrite the immigration summary. Bank and escrow evidence should trace lawful funds through their actual path and show when they became irrevocably committed and at risk. The overall file must also establish treaty nationality, a substantial investment in a real non-marginal enterprise, and the investor’s ability to develop and direct through at least half ownership or operational control. E-2 does not itself provide a direct route to a green card.
Hypothetical example: A baker in Saint-David-de-Falardeau agrees to acquire a café, but the seller lists two ovens that a finance company leases. She should show the lease assignment separately from equipment she will own, reconcile deposits with bank statements, and explain any required consent. Treating both ovens as purchased could inflate the committed amount and make the closing documents internally inconsistent.