Read the general investor planning overview
A contribution, loan or deposit can have legal terms that matter more than the translated label. Preserve the actual agreement and explain its effect on funds, ownership and commitment.
Build a terminology key from the actual rights
Place the original agreement beside its translation and identify who owns, votes and makes operating decisions. If a term is translated as partnership, record the rights it actually grants instead of assuming the English label gives the investor authority to develop and direct the enterprise. Identify the applicant’s treaty nationality and the owners’ actual nationalities; the enterprise generally needs at least 50% ownership by nationals of the relevant treaty country. A translated corporate name does not establish those facts.
Preserve the financial clauses that a short summary would miss
Trace each contribution from lawful origin through the real transfers, then point to the clause controlling commitment or refund. The investment must be substantial, sufficiently committed and at risk in relation to the enterprise; there is no universal fixed dollar minimum. Explain any borrowing with the borrower and complete collateral schedule intact. Personal-only secured and unsecured debt may qualify, but pledging enterprise assets excludes the debt even when personal assets are pledged too. Do not translate a loan as equity or omit a security clause because it complicates the summary.
Label the document’s time frame accurately
A forecast should stay a forecast in both languages. Test whether the real operating business can support more than a minimal living for the investor and family or make a significant economic contribution; projected capacity should generally be realizable within five years after normal business begins. Identify which operating figures are historical and which depend on proposed contracts. A visa-contingent escrow may qualify on its actual terms, but translation does not turn every deposit into committed capital. Readable purchase documents also do not grant permission to work in the United States.
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.