There is no universal rule requiring equal contributions by spouses or a fixed E-2 amount per owner. Assess the actual qualifying investment and applicant arrangement. Equal funding does not automatically establish control, treaty nationality or nonmarginality.
Budget the enterprise’s real needs
Identify committed capital, operating resources and separate fees, then explain who supplies each amount. Do not spend unnecessarily simply to equalize contributions. The business plan and household budget should reflect genuine obligations.
Price the venture from its genuine launch needs rather than dividing an arbitrary target between spouses. E-2 has no universal fixed investment minimum and does not demand equal contributions. Make a sources-and-uses schedule identifying who owns each dollar, when it becomes irrevocably committed and at risk, and which lease, inventory, equipment, or operating obligation it satisfies. Compare the total with the cost of the specific enterprise to assess substantiality, then show that the operation is real and not marginal. Separately budget current government charges, professional work, translations, travel, and household reserves. Treaty nationality and the investor’s ability to develop and direct through 50 percent ownership or operational control remain independent tests. Equalizing deposits simply for appearance is a common and potentially misleading mistake.
Hypothetical example: Two spouses near Sherbrooke plan a subscription-based translation-software company, but one provides savings while the other contributes technical labour. Their budget should record the actual capital owner, binding software and marketing expenses, control rights, and credible operating needs. They need not manufacture matching transfers; instead, they should decide which Canadian treaty national can establish control and whether enough capital is genuinely exposed to launch a non-marginal enterprise.