Read the general investor planning overview
Hypothetical example: a Quinte West excavation and septic-installation contractor plans to start a US operation from scratch, buying two used excavators, a dump truck and a trailer, leasing a yard and hiring an operator. He wants to know how much is enough and whether equipment bought while he is still in Canada counts. E-2 has no fixed minimum; the test is whether his committed funds are substantial relative to the cost of establishing this kind of business, and equipment purchased for the enterprise and irrevocably paid for is part of the investment.
Cost the business honestly, then compare
The proportionality test compares the amount invested with the total cost of establishing the enterprise. For an excavation start-up that cost is the equipment, the yard lease and deposits, insurance, licensing and bonding, initial marketing and enough working capital to run until receivables arrive. Write that budget as a business plan with quotations attached. Then compare the funds already committed. A contractor who has paid for the excavators, signed the yard lease with personal liability and deposited working capital in the US company's account has committed most of the cost; one who has merely priced equipment has committed nothing. The higher the proportion of the total cost already at risk, the stronger the showing, and for a relatively low-cost enterprise officers expect the proportion to be high.
Treat equipment purchases as investment only when they are irrevocable
Equipment bought and paid for, titled to the US enterprise or clearly earmarked for it, counts as invested capital. Equipment financed by a lender whose security is the equipment itself is more complicated: the portion secured by the enterprise's own assets is not the investor's capital at risk, while a loan the contractor personally guarantees and secures on his Canadian home is. Keep purchase agreements, wire confirmations, titles and delivery records. Equipment he already owns in Canada and intends to move can be counted at a documented value if it is committed to the US enterprise, but an appraisal and evidence of transfer are needed; an intention to bring the machine later is not an investment.
Sequence commitment, application and the first job
Because commitment must precede the consular application, the contractor should form the US company, open its accounts, buy the equipment, sign the lease and place working capital before applying for the visa. He may travel to the United States as a visitor to inspect equipment, sign documents and meet the accountant, but he must not operate the machines on a paying job until admitted in E-2 status. The business must also be real and non-marginal: hiring the operator and lining up contracts shows the enterprise will support more than a minimal living. Canadian citizens obtain the E-2 visa at a consulate; once admitted, status runs in two-year increments and is renewable while the business continues, but it offers no direct route to permanent residence, so a long-term plan may need a different category later.
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.