E-2 Visa Investment Examples by Business Type

E-2 visa investments range from about $100,000 for a lean consulting or e-commerce business to several million dollars for an acquisition. What matters is not the dollar figure but how the qualifying investment compares with the total cost of that specific business, and whether the business will be more than marginal. The seven scenarios below are illustrative, built from cost structures we see in practice, and are not client cases.

Each example shows the total cost, the qualifying investment, the share, what consular officers typically look at and where the risk sits. You can test your own numbers with the investment calculator linked at the end of this page.

How to read these examples

The Foreign Affairs Manual, 9 FAM 402.9-6(D), sets no minimum. It applies a proportionality test as an inverted sliding scale: the cheaper the business, the higher the share expected. Its own anchors are 100% of a $100,000 business, which would normally qualify, and $10 million in a $100 million business, which may qualify by sheer magnitude.

Three rules apply to every scenario:

• Cost is the purchase price for an existing business, or the actual cost to make a new business operational.
• Qualifying investment is money at risk and irrevocably committed. Loans secured by the business’s own assets do not count; loans secured by your personal assets can.
• Marginality is a separate test. The business must have the capacity to generate more than a minimal living for you and your family, or make a significant economic contribution, generally within five years.

For the full legal background, see our guide to the E-2 visa minimum investment.

E-2 investment examples at a glance

Scenario (illustrative)	Total cost	Qualifying investment	Share	Typical staff by year two (practice)	Main risk point
1. Home-service franchise	$165,000	$155,000	94%	4 to 6	Investor working as the technician
2. Cafe, new build-out	$330,000	$290,000	88%	6 to 10	Lease and build-out not yet committed
3. Consulting firm	$110,000	$108,000	98%	2 to 4	Marginality, one-person practice
4. E-commerce brand	$140,000	$135,000	96%	2 to 4	Why the business needs the investor in the U.S.
5. Existing business purchase	$380,000	$340,000	89%	8 (existing)	Valuation and seller financing
6. Trucking and logistics	$420,000	$280,000	67%	4 to 6 drivers plus dispatch	Truck loans secured by the trucks
7. Larger acquisition, partial investment	$4,000,000	$1,600,000	40%	30 (existing)	Lender control and ownership structure

The shares are calculated on the total cost. Scenario 5 includes $40,000 of working capital in the qualifying amount, and scenario 6 is deliberately shown below the usual range to illustrate a common mistake.

1. Home-service franchise

A residential service franchise, such as cleaning, restoration, handyman or senior care, with a small office and a service vehicle.

Cost item	Amount
Franchise fee and training	$55,000
Vehicle, equipment and supplies	$45,000
Office lease deposit and first rent	$8,000
Launch marketing	$20,000
Professional, licensing and insurance	$12,000
Early payroll and working capital	$25,000
Total cost	$165,000

Investment: $155,000 spent or committed (94%).

What officers look at: the signed franchise agreement, the Franchise Disclosure Document’s estimated initial investment as evidence of cost, paid invoices, the vehicle purchase and a hiring plan for technicians or caregivers.

Risk points: paying only the franchise fee and leaving everything else uncommitted; a plan in which the investor does the field work instead of managing it, which weakens both the “develop and direct” and marginality arguments. See E-2 franchises.

2. Cafe with a new build-out

A neighborhood cafe in a leased space of about 1,500 square feet.

Total cost: $330,000, of which build-out and equipment are the largest items, followed by lease deposit, prepaid rent, permits, opening inventory, pre-opening payroll and working capital.

Investment: $290,000 of the investor’s own funds (88%).

What officers look at: a signed lease, contractor agreements and payments, equipment invoices, health and building permits, a menu and pricing model tied to local data, and a staffing plan for two shifts.

Risk points: a lease that is still a letter of intent, build-out that has not started, or a large part of the money sitting in the bank. Officers also check that the projections reflect realistic food and labor costs. Restaurant margins are thin, so the plan must show enough volume to support the owner and the staff.

3. Consulting firm

A B2B consulting firm in the investor’s field of expertise, with a small office.

Total cost: $110,000: office lease and furniture, software and equipment, marketing and business development, professional fees and the first months of salaries for a coordinator and a junior consultant.

Investment: $108,000 (98%).

What officers look at: whether the firm is a real business rather than the investor’s personal practice: client contracts or letters of intent, an office, payroll, and a pipeline that supports hiring. The investor’s credentials matter because they explain why clients will buy.

Risk points: marginality. A firm where the investor bills every hour and employs no one looks like self-employment. The FAM warns against paper organizations; an office address with no operations is not enough. Our guide to starting an E-2 consulting business covers how to build a hiring path.

4. E-commerce brand

A U.S. brand selling its own products online, with inventory held in a U.S. warehouse or third-party logistics provider.

Total cost: $140,000: opening inventory, product development and packaging, website and platform setup, warehouse or 3PL onboarding, paid marketing, professional fees and early payroll for operations and customer service staff.

Investment: $135,000 (96%).

What officers look at: inventory actually purchased and received, supplier and 3PL contracts, U.S. operations and staff, and paid marketing rather than budgeted marketing.

Risk points: a drop-shipping model with no inventory or U.S. staff, which looks speculative, and the question of why the investor must be in the United States to run it. See E-2 online businesses.

5. Buying an existing service business

An established HVAC, landscaping or cleaning company with eight employees and several years of tax returns.

Item	Amount
Purchase price (fair market value)	$380,000
Investor’s own funds, held in escrow	$300,000
Seller note secured by the business	$80,000 (does not count)
Working capital added by the investor	$40,000

Qualifying investment: $340,000, or 89% of the purchase price.

What officers look at: the signed purchase agreement, the escrow agreement releasing funds on visa issuance, a valuation or broker opinion supporting the price, the business’s tax returns and payroll records.

Risk points: an inflated price that is not supported by earnings, a seller note that is too large relative to the investor’s equity, or an escrow that is not tied to a binding contract. See buying a business for an E-2 visa.

6. Trucking and logistics

A small carrier with three used trucks and trailers, a dispatch office and hired drivers.

Total cost: $420,000, including trucks and trailers, operating authority, insurance deposits, the office, dispatch software, and early payroll.

Investment as structured: $280,000 of the investor’s cash; the remaining $140,000 comes from equipment loans secured by the trucks. Those loans do not count, so the qualifying share is 67%, below the 75% to 100% range we usually plan for at this cost.

How to strengthen it: buy the trucks with personal funds or a home equity loan, or start with two trucks at a total cost of around $300,000, so the same $280,000 becomes more than 90% of the cost.

Risk points: besides the financing, an investor who plans to drive instead of direct the business, high insurance costs that squeeze margins, and Executive Order 14286 (April 28, 2025), under which E-2 employees whose job requires operating a commercial motor vehicle must show English proficiency.

7. Larger acquisition with partial investment

A regional distribution company with 30 employees, purchased for $4,000,000.

Investment: $1,600,000 of the investor’s own funds (40%); the remaining $2,400,000 is an acquisition loan secured by the company’s assets, which does not count toward the investment.

Why 40% can work: at this cost level the absolute amount is large, and the FAM accepts that an expensive business can qualify with a lower share, citing $10 million in a $100 million business. The existing workforce also answers the marginality question.

What officers look at: audited or reviewed financial statements, the valuation, the source of $1.6 million and the share structure showing at least 50% treaty-national ownership and the investor’s control.

Risk points: loan covenants that give the lender operational control, co-investors who dilute ownership below 50%, and a source of funds trail that spans several years and countries. Read the E-2 ownership rules before adding partners.

What do these examples have in common?

The strongest scenarios share four traits: the money is spent or legally committed before the interview, the cost figure is backed by invoices and contracts, personal rather than business-secured debt is used where borrowing is needed, and the business plan shows U.S. hiring. The weak points are also consistent: uncommitted cash, business-secured loans and one-person operations. A documented source of funds is required in every scenario.

Next steps

Pick the example closest to your plan and run your own numbers in the E-2 investment calculator. For more options at each budget level, see E-2 business ideas by budget. If you want help pricing a specific business, request a consultation; we build the business and the investment evidence and coordinate with your independent immigration attorney.