Read the general investor planning overview
Hypothetical example: a Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury nordic-ski and snowshoe outfitter is buying an outdoor-gear retail and rental store in New Hampshire. The price covers fixtures, a rental fleet, the lease assignment and goodwill, but the largest asset on the shelves is inventory, some of it owned outright and some held on consignment from suppliers. E-2 counts funds that are irrevocably committed to the enterprise and at risk, so the file has to separate purchased stock from stock that still belongs to the brands, and financed inventory from paid-for inventory.
Sort the shelves into owned, financed and consigned
Ask the seller for an inventory count with cost values and, for every line, whether the store owns it, owes a supplier for it, or holds it on consignment. Purchased inventory paid from the outfitter's own funds is investment. Inventory financed by a supplier's dating program or a floor-plan loan is investment only to the extent the loan is the outfitter's personal obligation and not secured on the store's assets; a loan secured on the inventory itself is treated differently. Consigned stock never leaves the supplier's ownership and should be excluded from both the price and the investment figure, however impressive it makes the store look.
Test substantiality against the real cost of the business
Substantiality compares the investment with the cost of acquiring or creating this business, and a gear shop's cost is the sum of fixtures, rental fleet, owned inventory, lease deposits and working capital. Once consigned stock and supplier-financed stock are removed, the true cost may be lower than the seller's asking price suggested, which changes the proportion. Write the figures out: what the outfitter is paying, what part of it is at risk, and what the business is worth on the seller's own books. Keep purchase money in a visa-contingent escrow with proper release terms if the outfitter is not prepared to own the store outright before the visa is decided.
Show direction and a business that outgrows the household
The outfitter, a Canadian citizen, should own the acquiring company and hold the authority to hire, buy and set prices; a supplier agreement that dictates assortment or pricing is not a control problem, but a seller who keeps a veto is. Non-marginality is shown through the existing staff of seasonal rental technicians and a plan to expand guided outings and rentals beyond what the owner's family could do alone. An accompanying spouse is employment-authorized incident to E-2 status and can run the rental counter; children may study but not work. E-2 does not lead to permanent residence by itself.
What else is on your mind?
Is there one minimum investment that guarantees E-2 eligibility?Is holding money or owning an asset enough for E-2?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.