There is no statutory minimum. Substantiality is measured in proportion to the cost of acquiring the particular business, so a fully funded purchase of a modest operating business can qualify while a small fraction of an expensive one may not. Government fees are separate and published officially.
Proportion, not a threshold, and a second budget nobody plans for
The proportionality test is the reason a figure quoted at a dinner party is useless. The question is not whether the amount sounds like enough but whether it represents a substantial share of what it costs to acquire and operate this business. Buying an operating truck-wash outright generally satisfies that because the price is the cost. Two budget items are routinely forgotten. The first is working capital: a business bought with every available dollar and no operating cushion looks fragile to an officer assessing whether it can be non-marginal. The second is the cost of the process itself, including legal fees on both the transaction and the visa application, an accountant for the source-of-funds work, and consular fees confirmed on official sources.
Hypothetical example: a reusable-packaging wash facility needs equipment, a lease deposit, inventory, and payroll reserve. The review should decide how much can be committed while leaving the venture operational, using invoices, escrow records, lease terms, account statements, and a forecast. Put the payer, payment date, and refund condition beside every item before money moves. Check current government figures directly. The recurring error is that counting all bank funds as invested hides the difference between cash and risk. Financial planning follows the substantive eligibility analysis.