The consular visa application fee, any reciprocity fee, and professional costs for the business plan, source-of-funds file and legal review of the purchase agreement. Filing a change of status inside the United States uses the USCIS fee schedule instead.
Treat the application budget as part of the deal
Hypothetical example: Government charges for a Canadian citizen applying at a U.S. consulate are the visa application fee and any reciprocity fee, both published by the Department of State. If Dwayne is already in the United States in another status and applies to change status, the USCIS fee schedule for Form I-129 applies instead, and that route does not produce a visa for travel. The larger costs are professional. A credible business plan with five-year staffing projections, a source-of-funds file assembled by someone who knows what consular officers ask for, U.S. legal review of the purchase and escrow documents, and a valuation supporting the price are all normal. Escrow agents charge fees, and a U.S. accountant will be needed for the shop's first return. Because the visa is renewable only while the business qualifies, build these advisory costs into the purchase price negotiation rather than treating them as afterthoughts.
Hypothetical example: Noor, a Canadian investor, starts a residential energy-audit company and is deciding whether to use cash for equipment or retain it as personal reserves. The purchase invoice and account record show what entered the enterprise; an unused personal balance does not prove commitment. Compare professional, lease, equipment, and working-capital costs against the real cost of opening. The meaningful test is substantiality in this particular business, not a familiar dollar figure.