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NEW WESTMINSTER · E-2 FIELD GUIDE

When should supplier contracts be signed relative to the application?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

Enough activity must exist for the enterprise to look operational, yet commitments made too early carry cost if plans change. A practical sequence signs the agreements needed to trade, keeps optional expansion deals unsigned, and reviews the position before each new obligation. No processing time or outcome can be guaranteed, so avoid deadlines that only work if a decision arrives promptly.

Stage the launch around reversible decisions

Group the plan into steps that can be paused: negotiated but unsigned contracts, month-to-month services, and stock ordered in small quantities. Keep the irreversible items, such as long leases or large equipment purchases, until the picture is clearer. Canadian citizens generally need an E visa, so build the consular step into the schedule rather than assuming arrival at a border is the final procedural hurdle.

Group the plan into steps that can be paused: negotiated but unsigned contracts, month-to-month services, and stock ordered in small quantities. Keep the irreversible items, such as long leases or large equipment purchases, until the picture is clearer, and review the position before each new obligation is entered into. Enough activity must exist for the enterprise to look operational, yet commitments made too early cost money if plans change, so the practical sequence signs what is needed to trade and leaves optional expansion unsigned.

Canadian citizens generally need an E visa, so build the consular step into the schedule rather than assuming arrival at a border is the final procedural hurdle.