They serve different purposes. Identify the actual funds committed to the enterprise and keep household resources distinguishable.
Avoid overstating the investment figure
The capital assessment depends on lawful source, risk, business costs and financing security. A larger combined balance does not cure an uncommitted transaction or an enterprise unable to meet the nonmarginality condition.
Budget three separate lines: business costs such as rent, deposits and fit-out; professional costs for commercial and immigration advice; and government charges, whose current amounts should be verified when each step arrives. Loan repayments, family covenants, escrow conditions, inventory, rent, payroll, and reserves should appear according to the real agreements even if someone informally used the word “gift.” There is no universal E-2 minimum; substantiality is assessed relative to the business. Check current government amounts at the time of filing rather than relying on a figure heard from another applicant, and confirm which route applies, since the consular process and a change of status filed from inside the United States are different procedures with different charges. Purchase price, working capital, lease deposits, equipment and a franchise or distributorship fee are the investment and are counted as such; consular processing or a change-of-status filing is an application cost, published in the official schedules, and is not part of the investment.