Before signing the franchise agreement or paying a non-refundable fee. Franchise agreements are drafted by the franchisor and are often presented as standard, but the terms decide the control question and there is usually a period during which questions can still be asked.
Ask the control questions during disclosure, not after signing
Franchise sales processes have their own rhythm, including a disclosure period and a push toward signing once a location is identified. Use the disclosure period for both reviews at once: the franchise lawyer reading for commercial risk, and immigration counsel reading for how the arrangement would be described. Doing them together avoids paying twice for the same reading. If the franchisor will not answer questions about franchisee discretion, that reluctance is information. Once the agreement is signed and the fee paid, the terms are settled and the application simply has to work with whatever they say. A signed agreement is the fact the application has to work with, so the reading has to come first.
Hypothetical example: Karima wants to open a mobile pet-grooming service before the busy summer season. An opening assessment lays out company formation, lease or vehicle commitment, licensing, funds transfer, operating contracts, and the timing of the visa application. Dated invoices, escrow instructions, and launch schedules settle what is already in place. Commit to the steps that make commercial sense, not just those that make a calendar look fast. Delay often comes from waiting to collect source records until after money moves, or from finding that a seller will not accept an appropriately contingent agreement. A later launch can be preferable to a transaction that cannot be explained.