After the agreement has been reviewed for control and refundability, and as part of establishing a genuine enterprise, which generally precedes the application because the capital must already be committed. The signing date, the fee's non-refundable date and any territory deadline should all be on the calendar before negotiation concludes.
Negotiate the dates, not just the price
Franchisors work to their own schedule, including territory availability and training intakes, and those dates will be presented as fixed. Some of them are; others are commercial positions. Ask which training cohort the couple must attend, when the territory must be taken up, and how long the franchisor will hold the agreement. Then set those against the realistic timeline for establishing the business and applying, including appointment availability at the relevant consular post, which varies and should be checked directly. Neither applicant should work in the business in the United States before the status exists. If the dates cannot be reconciled, that is a reason to negotiate a later start rather than to compress a file that will be read carefully.
Hypothetical example: a Tyendinaga furniture-restoration business wants to open before a large trade show and has ordered specialized workshop equipment. Sequence the lease, permits, purchases, and application so the records show a real enterprise without creating obligations that cannot be managed if plans change. Processing time is not the only clock. Delivery dates, municipal approvals, and the first customer commitments often decide whether the opening schedule is realistic. The final decision should be based on evidence readiness and operational readiness together, because either one can postpone lawful opening.