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Hypothetical example: a La Pêche stone mason who restores heritage masonry plans to open a U.S. restoration company and to bring his scaffolding, lifts, saws and a truck with him rather than buy new. He asks whether equipment he already owns counts toward the E-2 investment, how it is valued, and whether it remains at risk once it crosses the border. Capital includes assets as well as funds, and property transferred to the enterprise counts at its fair market value, provided the investor can show ownership and the transfer.
Assets are capital when they are transferred to the enterprise
The Foreign Affairs Manual defines investment as the placing of capital, including funds and other assets, at risk in the commercial sense. Equipment the investor owns personally becomes part of the investment when title passes to the U.S. enterprise, whether by a bill of sale to the company or by a documented contribution in exchange for shares. The value credited is the fair market value at the time of transfer, not the original purchase price, so the mason should obtain an independent appraisal or dealer valuations for the lifts, saws and truck, with photographs and serial numbers, and record the transfer in the company’s books. Equipment he keeps in his own name and merely uses in the business is not invested capital.
Substantial and at risk, measured against this business
Substantiality is proportional to the cost of establishing a heritage-masonry restoration company: the equipment, a yard or shop lease, a vehicle, insurance, licensing and working capital for the first contracts. Contributed equipment valued at US$90,000, plus US$60,000 in cash for the lease, insurance and payroll, is measured against that total, and the ratio is what the officer weighs. The equipment is at risk once it belongs to the company, because if the business fails it is sold to pay creditors, which is what the at-risk test means. Customs and tax treatment of the equipment’s importation are separate matters to settle with a broker and an accountant; the immigration file needs the valuation and the transfer documents.
What continues to be tested at renewal
E-2 admissions run two years at a time with no cap on renewals, and each renewal re-examines the investment, the business and the investor’s control. The contributed equipment stays part of the investment as long as the company owns it, so selling the truck and pocketing the proceeds reduces the invested capital, while replacing it with a newer one through the company preserves it. The business must remain non-marginal, which for a mason means employing crew rather than working alone, and it must be at least half owned by Canadian nationals and developed and directed by him. His spouse is employment-authorized incident to E-2 status. E-2 offers no path to permanent residence, so a family intending to settle should plan a separate category early.
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.