Delivery is one fact in the investment record, rather than a universal filing milestone. Active investment may qualify before installation, but ownership, enforceable commitments, valuation and any release conditions must support the case at filing. A tentative intention to contribute machines later is not equivalent to a qualifying commitment.
What the filing date does and does not unlock
Filing the standalone I-526, or an I-526E in a regional center case, does not authorise work or travel; only separately held authorisation does that. Approval of the petition is not status either. A visa number must be available, with chargeability usually set by place of birth, before an immigrant visa or an eligible adjustment. Later, the I-829 is filed during the ninety days immediately preceding the second anniversary of conditional residence.
Identify unresolved conditions and avoid describing future money as already contributed. File when the qualifying capital has actually been received and invested. Create a dated hiring record showing when each full-time position begins, who fills it, and which evidence supports it. A revised employment model neither restarts residence nor removes conditions. Form I-829 is filed in its statutory window to remove conditions.