The signed partnership or operating agreement, because it decides ownership and control. Behind it come the escrow instructions, the funds trace and the firm's financial records.
Put the agreement on top and make it answer the two hardest questions
The officer needs to know who owns the enterprise and who directs it before the money questions matter, so the operating agreement is the deciding document. It should state the percentages, the capital contributions, the management rights and the decision thresholds, and it should be executed, not a draft. Next comes the escrow agreement showing the price held on visa-conditioned terms, then the bank records tracing the buyer's funds from their lawful origin to the escrow account, with certified translations of any French documents.
The firm's own records follow: formation documents, three years of tax returns, payroll, equipment titles and lien searches, current contracts, licences and insurance. Finally a business plan describes what the buyer will do and how the firm will grow. A cover letter should map each requirement to the document that satisfies it, in one page.