Money irrevocably committed to acquiring or operating the enterprise counts: purchase price, equipment, inventory, lease deposits and working capital placed in the business. Professional fees, government charges and family expenses do not, and a government gift under another programme is not an investment.
What to ask the seller, the lender and the adviser
Ask the seller for a breakdown of the price between goodwill, equipment and inventory, because that shows what the money buys. Ask the lender what secures any loan: personal borrowing secured on a Lévis home can count as the investor's own funds at risk, but a loan secured on the U.S. business's own assets is treated differently and can reduce the amount counted.
Ask the adviser to separate three budgets: the investment, the immigration costs set by the USCIS or consular fee schedules plus professional fees, and the household relocation. Hypothetical example: a Lévis machine-shop owner counts a lawyer's retainer and six months of family rent as part of his investment and is surprised when the qualifying figure comes out smaller than expected. Keep a ledger showing each dollar's source, its destination and whether it is at risk in the business; that ledger is both the budget and the evidence.