Two years of the affiliate's own records: lease, payroll registers, tax returns, insurance, client contracts and bank statements. An affiliate bought but left idle is a new office in substance regardless of when it was formed.
The affiliate's own paper trail decides the category
The distinction matters because a new-office petition is approved for one year and requires evidence about premises, funding and a growth plan, whereas a transfer into an existing operation can be approved for up to three years initially on evidence the business is running. The officer looks at what the affiliate has actually done. For the Paradise consultancy's U.S.
affiliate, that means the commercial lease for its premises, payroll registers showing the surveyors and administrative staff on the books since the purchase, federal and state tax filings for both years, liability and marine insurance certificates, signed client contracts and invoices, and bank statements showing revenue and expenses. If the affiliate was quiet for a period after the purchase, say so and show when activity resumed. Add the state's certificate of good standing and the annual reports.
Ownership evidence comes next: the affiliate's stock ledger and the Paradise company's share register, with any holding entities in between. Financial statements for both companies complete the picture.