When issuance of the visa is the only condition left on their release, official guidance treats them as irrevocably committed. Money the investor can still recover for reasons of their own has not been committed.
Read the release conditions, not the label
Escrow is a normal commercial tool and is not itself a problem. What matters is what triggers release. An escrow that releases on closing, on the satisfaction of ordinary commercial conditions, or on a date has committed the funds. An escrow whose only outstanding condition is issuance of the visa is accepted in official guidance as a solid, irrevocable commitment, while one the buyer can unwind for reasons of their own has preserved the funds rather than committed them. The practical consequence is that the money has to be committed under terms that leave nothing but the visa outstanding, with real commercial exposure, and that decision belongs with the investor’s own commercial advisers rather than with an immigration strategy. Where staging is necessary, prioritise expenditures that retain value independently of the immigration outcome and take advice before signing.
Sequence the transaction so the funds are committed under terms that leave the investor exposed only to the appropriate immigration contingency, if any. Ownership, lease, licences, staffing, and operating evidence should tell the same chronological story. A rushed closing can leave missing proof of source or risk. Hypothetical example: an adaptive-sports-equipment shop signs a lease before its entity opens a business account; deciding who is legally bound and how payment will be traced prevents a later gap.
Keep executed contracts and payment confirmations in date order, allowing the reviewer to see when the enterprise became committed rather than merely contemplated.