Close the sale, move proceeds to the project escrow and file Form I-526E once the full source-of-funds file is assembled. Do not commit capital to a project before the historical records are found, because gaps discovered later are much harder to repair.
Find the old documents before the money moves
Hypothetical example: The tempting sequence is to sell, invest and then gather records while USCIS processes the petition. It is the wrong order. The petition must include the source-of-funds evidence at filing, and a request for evidence about a 1990s mortgage is far easier to answer before the capital is locked in a project than after. Nora and Tom should start with the historical retrieval, which can take months when it involves lawyers' archives and land-registry searches. Once that file is complete, the sale can close and the proceeds move to escrow. Form I-526E processing times are published by USCIS and vary; the 2022 Act directs priority processing for petitions involving rural-area investments, not high-unemployment-area investments generally. After approval, an immigrant visa is available only when the Visa Bulletin shows their category current. Conditional residence then runs two years, with Form I-829 due in the final ninety days.
Hypothetical example: A wind-turbine parts distributor plans to use the proceeds of a business sale for an EB-5 placement. The safe sequence is to retrieve historic acquisition and tax records before the sale proceeds move, then reconcile each movement of funds into the enterprise. The sale closing statement and bank trail settle the recent transaction; older records explain lawful accumulation. An investor who waits until a request arrives may find that banks, accountants, or former advisers no longer hold the decisive files.