No universal minimum is set. The capital is assessed in relation to the cost of buying or establishing the particular enterprise and must be substantial for it.
Measure the investment against this business
Hypothetical example: an applicant plans to buy a modest mobile-equipment repair business and asks whether a round number is enough. The analysis begins with the actual purchase price, working capital, required equipment, lease obligations and operating costs, not with an internet benchmark. Capital must already be committed in a way that places it at risk; money held back for a possible future purchase may not carry the same weight.
Document the purchase price, necessary equipment, working capital and paid commitments rather than relying on a supposed minimum. Set out acquisition payments, escrow conditions, lease obligations and start-up spending chronologically, showing which sums are already irrevocably exposed to business risk. Address valuations or invoices that conflict with the claimed business cost before assessing proportionality.
Do not complete the purchase merely because an online figure is described as the E-2 threshold. Judge substantiality against the actual cost of this operating enterprise, then separately price filing, professional and family expenses using current official information. Keep a dated schedule separating government fees, professional charges, commercial costs and funds that must meet a substantive legal test.
A number on an invoice answers a different question from a qualification, a company relationship or a capital commitment. Check amounts again before payment.