Read the general investor planning overview
An acquisition price may include reputation, customer relationships and other intangible value beyond physical assets. Explain the agreed allocation and evidence supporting it. A seller’s asking price is not self-proving investment evidence, and a large goodwill entry should not conceal missing records about the business being acquired. The first review should reconcile the acquisition agreement, valuation support, payment path, and post-closing operating budget. It should identify which part of the price buys a transferable enterprise asset, which part is an immigration-process expense, and which records prove the investor’s capital is committed. The investor must still show capital placed at risk after irreversible commitment, a real operating enterprise that is not marginal, and a role directing and developing it.
Connect value to an actual transaction
Obtain the purchase agreement, allocation and records explaining what rights or assets pass to the buyer. Distinguish an agreed purchase price from an informal valuation used during negotiation. Counsel should evaluate the actual investment and its support. Do not assume that the seller’s preferred allocation automatically establishes the value of every intangible item for immigration purposes. Hypothetical example: a forensic-document examination business is offered for a price that assigns most of the value to client goodwill, although the principal client contracts cannot be assigned without consent. The first review asks for the contracts, consent terms, purchase allocation, and payment conditions. The decision is whether the price reflects an enterprise the investor will actually receive, whether to renegotiate, or whether the lost relationships make the forecast too speculative.
Examine the supporting business evidence
Review available customer, revenue and contract records through appropriate advisers, with attention to what can legally transfer. A list of hoped-for customers is different from an established relationship or contract. Preserve the evidence relied upon rather than repeating a broker’s promotional description. Commercial valuation and immigration capital treatment are related but require their own careful assessment. Prepare a payment ledger that names the sender, recipient, date, amount, commercial purpose, and proof for every transfer. The purchase agreement settles what was bought, but bank records and acknowledgements settle what was paid and received. Do not let a single headline price obscure retained cash, contingent payments, brokerage costs, or a vendor obligation that makes the apparent contribution revocable.
Avoid counting value twice
If goodwill is already part of the acquisition price, do not add it again as a separate founder contribution. Reconcile the entire purchase allocation to actual payments and commitments. Explain any retained assets or excluded rights. A clear calculation helps reveal the true transaction, while substantiality, investor control and non-marginality still require evaluation beyond the goodwill amount. Test the intangible-value claim against the post-closing facts: licenses, customer consents, staff continuity, data rights, and premises access. Then decide whether the forecast needs a conservative case or a revised business model. A common failure is to count goodwill at closing while using the same customer stream again as a separate uncosted growth assumption.
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.