“Substantiality” is contextual. This is, substantiality is not an objective test so much as a subjective test that the e-visa applicant must pass by carrying his or her burden of proof before a Consular Officer or USCIS Examiner. There is no clear-cut sum that is or is not substantial. Substantiality depends on the nature of the business and the amount of capital it normally takes to get a business of that type started. So, if normally a 3-person high-tech software development startup would take $150,000 to rent space and get all of the computer equipment it needs, the desks, phones, printers, etc., then that’s all you need to invest.
If you’re starting a restaurant and normally it would take $350,000 to purchase a space, remodel it and get fifteen staff people trained and ready, then that amount is (or should be) substantial.
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