Read the general investor planning overview
E-2 has no minimum dollar figure. The investment is measured against the cost of the particular enterprise, so a large purchase of an existing facility and a small start-up service business each have their own comparison. An Oromocto investor choosing between them should build the cost schedule for each business first and only then ask whether the committed funds are substantial and whether the business would be more than marginal. Hypothetical example: a buyer of an heirloom-seed company leaves most purchase funds in a personal savings account while calling the entire balance an E-2 investment. The decision is whether to commit funds under terms that expose them to commercial loss, or wait until the transaction is ready. Bank balances prove capacity, not commitment. Pair each wire with a signed contract, invoice, escrow term, or operating expense so the record shows what the money bought and why it is at risk.
Two businesses, two cost bases
Hypothetical example: an Oromocto welder-fabricator with savings from years of contracting is deciding between buying an established self-storage facility and starting a mobile welding and repair service in the same U.S. town. For the storage purchase, the cost base is the price of the property, the business and any upgrades; the investor's committed funds are compared with that figure, and a bank mortgage secured by the facility itself does not count as funds at risk. For the welding start-up, the cost base is the truck, equipment, insurance, licences and working capital needed to reach operation; a much smaller sum can be substantial if it covers most of that. Review ownership and control before the first payment. A later side agreement that gives non-treaty nationals decisive control can defeat a structure that initially looked compliant on a cap table.
Commitment, risk and the enterprise being real
For either choice, the funds must be irrevocably committed: a signed purchase agreement with escrow released on approval, or equipment actually bought, leases signed and accounts opened for the welding business. Money sitting in the investor's savings account with a business plan attached is not committed. The enterprise must be real and operating or about to operate. Canadian citizenship satisfies the treaty-nationality test for the investor, and the enterprise must be at least half Canadian-owned. The investor must develop and direct it, which the welder would do personally in either case. Use the enterprise's actual purchase and launch cost to assess proportionality. Break the budget into inventory, equipment, leasehold work, professional costs, and working capital instead of relying on a single rounded figure.
Marginality is the harder test for the one-person business
A mobile welding service run by the investor alone risks being found marginal if it appears capable only of supporting the investor's family. Projections that show hiring a second welder and an office administrator within a reasonable period, supported by realistic contracts, answer that concern. The storage facility with existing staff and revenue faces the question less sharply, but its plan should still show growth or employment beyond the owner. The spouse is employment-authorized incident to E-2 status in either scenario. Neither business provides a direct path to permanent residence, so the choice is about the enterprise, not about immigration permanence. Stress-test the forecast for marginality by reducing sales or delaying hiring. If the model then supports only the owner’s household, revise the operating plan before filing.
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.