Tax returns, payroll records, the lease, the customer list, supplier and distributor agreements and any existing loans. They prove the business is operating and reveal whether the buyer will control it after closing.
Diligence documents become visa evidence
The same records a careful buyer needs to price the business are the records a consular officer needs to see that the enterprise is real, operating and not marginal. Federal and state tax returns for three years show revenue and profit. Payroll registers show employees, which matters because a business that supports only the investor's own living is marginal. The premises lease shows the business has a place to operate and whether the landlord must consent to a change of ownership. Supplier and distributor agreements matter especially in parts distribution, where a manufacturer's authorization may be personal to the seller and terminable on sale; a buyer who loses the lines has bought less than he thinks and may not be able to direct the enterprise. Existing loans show what collateral is already pledged. Request these documents under a confidentiality agreement early, review them with an accountant, and keep the originals or certified copies for the application. If the seller resists producing them, that is information too.
Hypothetical example: a Canadian citizen plans to purchase a mobile hearing-aid service with recurring contracts from retirement homes. First obtain the contracts, any required licence information, payroll records, and the seller's tax returns under a confidentiality agreement. The contract-assignment clauses settle whether the revenue will survive closing. Place those records beside the purchase agreement and business plan. If a facility can terminate on change of ownership, the buyer should secure consent or revise the forecast rather than count that revenue as assured.