A household travel budget is not itself evidence of qualifying funds committed to the enterprise. Identify the actual investment and its lawful source and path.
Separate the business commitment from living arrangements
There is no universal E-2 minimum. The relevant business costs, risk and financing conditions need assessment. Frequent flights or expensive accommodation cannot replace the enterprise’s capital and nonmarginality evidence.
The test compares the amount actually invested with the cost of purchasing the enterprise as a going concern, and it is applied on a sliding scale: the lower the total cost, the higher the proportion the investors should fund from their own capital. Budget the acquisition or start-up cost, equipment, inventory, leasehold, payroll, professional charges, insurance, operating cushion, personal living reserves, and government fees separately. Build a list: accounting review of the financials, a lawyer for the asset or share purchase agreement, a business plan written to a standard an adjudicator will read rather than a bank, immigration counsel, and post-closing working capital. Match deposits, escrow releases, purchase payments, lease obligations, and equipment orders to source records; keep professional charges and recoverable balances in separate categories.