The consular visa application fee and any reciprocity fee, professional and closing costs, the escrow agent’s charge, and the working capital the business needs after closing, none of which is part of the investment itself.
Separate invested capital from the costs of getting there
The investment is the money committed to the enterprise: the purchase price, and any additional capital injected for equipment or working capital. Application costs sit outside it and should not be presented as investment. For a consular E-2 application the applicant pays the machine-readable visa fee and, depending on nationality, a reciprocity fee at issuance; Canadians should check the current State Department schedule. Legal fees for the purchase agreement, the escrow and the visa file, accountancy for the source-of-funds package, the escrow agent’s fee and any business valuation are further costs. After closing the couple will need working capital for wages, insurance and permits during the first season, and a business plan that shows the enterprise sustaining more than the family’s own living. Government charges should be verified on the official pages at the time of filing.
Separate the capital committed to the enterprise from the price of seeking the classification. Legal, filing, and travel expenses may be sensible outlays, but they do not prove that the business itself has received substantial capital. The comparison is with the actual cost to buy or establish this particular enterprise, and money reserved in the investor's account is not the same as an irrevocable business commitment. Hypothetical example: a mobile pet-grooming operator budgets vans, fittings, insurance, and initial payroll. Her application fees are paid separately, while invoices and payments for the operating assets show the commercial investment.