Read the general investor planning overview
A franchise can support E-2, but the investor must still commit substantial funds irrevocably, the studio must be a real operating enterprise that is more than marginal, and the investor must develop and direct it despite the franchisor's system. A New Maryland investor should list each outlay, decide which are committed and at risk, and sequence the franchise agreement, the lease and the application so the money is at risk before the interview without being lost if approval fails. The decision is not simply how much to spend; it is which payments genuinely place capital at commercial risk in a real operating venture and which remain personal or refundable. A payment ledger should identify the payee, contract, purpose, refund term, and business asset received. Hypothetical example: a hearing-aid dispenser plans a storefront, equipment lease, and advertising campaign. The reviewer separates the refundable security deposit from equipment already ordered under a binding agreement, then tests the business forecast against staffing and revenue assumptions.
Classify each outlay
Hypothetical example: a New Maryland personal trainer with savings from a decade of work wants to open a franchised fitness studio in a U.S. suburb. The franchise fee, once paid under a signed agreement, is committed and generally at risk. The build-out and equipment, once contracted and paid, are committed. Working capital deposited in the studio's operating account and needed for the first months is committed; a large balance held back in personal savings is not. Funds borrowed against the studio's own equipment are not the investor's funds at risk, while a loan secured by her Canadian assets can be. Canadian citizenship satisfies the treaty-nationality test. Classify each cost before payment and retain the document that confirms its business purpose. The owner must decide whether an item belongs in the investment narrative or should be shown as ordinary personal expenditure.
Sequence the commitments around the decision
Use a binding franchise agreement and place the franchise fee in escrow for automatic release on E-2 approval; a visa condition can qualify when the funds are actually committed and the investor cannot withdraw them at will. Structure the lease with a similar escrow or binding contingency where the landlord will accept it, and contract the build-out so that deposits are committed while the balance follows approval. Then apply. The aim is to show a substantial proportion of the studio's total cost irrevocably committed and at risk while avoiding an unconditional spend before the consulate decides. Keep the source-of-funds records for the savings and any home-equity loan. The buyer should decide which commitments can be made before an application and which require a carefully documented condition. That choice affects both commercial risk and the ability to recover if the transaction does not proceed.
Prove that she runs it and that it will employ others
A franchisor's operating manual does not remove the investor's role: she hires the instructors, sets the schedule, manages the budget and owns all the shares, which is development and direction. Marginality is the risk for a single-studio start-up, so the business plan should show instructors and front-desk staff hired within a realistic period and revenue beyond the owner's living. Her spouse would be employment-authorized incident to E-2 status; children could study but not work. E-2 has no direct path to permanent residence, and renewals depend on the studio continuing to qualify. The operating plan should show who will direct daily decisions and when non-owner employment is expected. The reader must decide whether projected demand and hiring are supported by concrete contracts, market evidence, and premises.
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.