Immigration Policy Gone Wrong

For a perfect example of how the immigration system in the US is seriously broken, consider this a cautionary tale.

Two gentlemen from England, Andrew Cook and Nick Finnis, visited New England four years ago when they attended a wedding and fell in love with the area. Three years ago, after obtaining two-year E-2 visas, they bought an old inn in Temple, New Hampshire and proceeded to renovate it. Before their visas expired they were able to renew them and continued to rebuild the inn, something that had become a labor of love. Because they renewed their visas here rather than applying for them back in England, they were not allowed to travel freely between here and there.

Then one of these English gentlemen returned to England in order to look in on his elderly parents, both of whom were ailing. Upon his return to England he applied for his visa at the US Embassy in order to return to his partner and business.

His visa was denied and he can't legally re-enter the US.

The reason for the denial, according to the State Department, was that Cook's investment in the business wasn't "more than a marginal one solely for earning a living."

As a result, Cook can't return to America to tend to the business he invested his life savings in, Finnis said.

In a letter explaining the exchange with the immigration officer, Cook said he asked the officer what his options were. The officer said Finnis would have to run the business alone and build it up until it was acceptably profitable or would have to sell it.

Finnis added that most businesses don't see profits within the first three to five years, if at all. Expecting a one-man operation to suddenly make enough money to please the U.S. government is unlikely, Finnis said.

Here is someone who has jumped through the hoops to follow the immigration laws, someone who is providing jobs in a rural New Hampshire town and has the support of the townspeople, yet our government has banned him from returning to his new home town, his business, and his partner. This government is the same one that has no problem with allowing 12 million illegal immigrants to remain here. They keep out someone who provides jobs to Americans, but allow illegal immigrants to remain here that take jobs from Americans.

What's wrong with this picture?