What counts as a “substantial investment” for an E-2 visa

The most common question we get is also the one with the least satisfying answer: there is no fixed minimum investment amount for an E-2 visa.

USCIS and consular officers don't check your investment against a table. They judge it using a proportionality test — is the amount you're investing substantial relative to the total cost of establishing that particular type of business?

A $60,000 investment might be more than enough for a small consulting practice with minimal overhead. That same $60,000 could be judged insufficient for a restaurant or manufacturing business that realistically costs $400,000 to get running.

The two things officers actually look at

1. Proportionality — your investment amount compared to what the business realistically costs to establish.
2. "At risk" — the money has to be committed and irrevocable, not sitting untouched in a bank account you could withdraw from tomorrow.

What we help you document

Rather than guessing at a number, our builder walks you through:

• A realistic cost breakdown for your specific business type and location
• Evidence that your funds are already committed (lease deposits, equipment purchases, signed contracts)
• A clear proportionality narrative an officer can follow in under two minutes

That last part matters more than people expect. Officers review a lot of applications. The ones that get approved quickly are the ones where the investment case is obvious, not the ones with the biggest number attached.