The purchase bargain does not itself lower the applicable threshold. Assess qualifying capital and any reduced-threshold basis separately from the seller’s price.
Distinguish business valuation from statutory capital
Current general amounts are US$1.05 million or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted-employment-area or infrastructure investment, subject to statutory adjustments. Meeting the troubled-business definition does not waive the capital requirement.
Apply the actual capital requirements to the applicant’s qualifying contribution. A bargain purchase price does not reduce what the investor must place at risk; the qualifying capital is measured by what the investor actually contributes to the enterprise, not by what the enterprise was worth to a prior owner. Ask an independent appraiser to document the business's current value separately from the negotiated price, since immigration adjudicators look at the capital contributed and its use, not at how favorable the deal appeared. Confirm with counsel that the qualifying-employee job count required of the enterprise is unaffected by the purchase price, since the number of full-time positions needed does not shrink because the business was acquired at a discount. Keep working capital retained by the enterprise distinct from funds paid to the seller, and document how each portion of the contribution is deployed after closing. A discounted price can free more of the contribution for operations, but that outcome must be shown with actual accounting records rather than assumed from the purchase terms alone.