Keep the dated legal basis and actual contribution records clear alongside the intended filing.
Separate the estimate and applicable rule
A planning worksheet is not an official determination of a later minimum. Review changes before using the figure in the actual case and preserve the real funding history.
Keep a dated assumption file that identifies the statute or official guidance consulted, intended filing date, applicable capital tier, and whether the project is direct, regional-center, infrastructure, or in a targeted employment area. Link each revision to subscription records and actual transfers. As checked in September 2026, the levels are US$1,050,000 generally and US$800,000 for a qualifying reduced-tier case, with adjustment beginning January 1, 2027. Also assemble lawful source-and-path evidence, at-risk terms, a ten-full-time-job model, and management or policy rights. Regional-center investors use Form I-526E; direct investors use Form I-526. Form I-829 must be filed within the 90-day period immediately preceding the second anniversary of conditional residence. The common mistake is keeping only an undated spreadsheet.
Hypothetical example: an Orford outdoor-textile factory investor revises her contribution estimate after a project changes location. She should retain both worksheets, the official basis for each tier, site evidence, offering amendments, wires, and account statements. Her accountant's projection cannot designate a targeted employment area or establish the filing-date minimum. If she chooses a regional center, the petition form changes, but source tracing and the job requirement remain. Family records for her spouse and unmarried child under 21 belong in a separate derivative file rather than being folded into the capital calculation.