A deposit or pending ownership transfer does not itself authorize U.S. employment.
Assess the intended interim activity
Use the actual transaction and present permission. A seller’s commercial need does not create work authorization.
Hypothetical example: a specialty-coffee equipment distributor’s seller asks the investor to supervise inventory before closing. The investor must separate ownership planning from operating the business and identify current permission for the proposed activity; a deposit and a business need do not provide it.
For E-2, confirm treaty nationality, a treaty-national enterprise, capital committed irrevocably and exposed to commercial risk, and a real operating enterprise that is not marginal. A transaction’s label or expected closing date cannot replace those elements.
A timing review should produce a sequence of facts, not a promise. Mark the commercial event, evidence deadline, government filing or application, requested validity period, actual admission or approval, and any activity planned during the gap. Ask what permission supports each activity while physically in the United States. A revised project date can require new evidence or a new decision, and it never silently expands the scope of authorized work or residence.
Use the completed sequence to decide whether to wait, update evidence, choose a different lawful process, or change the planned activity. Do not let an anticipated commercial milestone replace confirmation of the authorization needed at that stage. For E-2, compare that conclusion with the present commitment terms, enterprise control, commercial exposure, and nonmarginality evidence before choosing the next step.