In 2019 the United States gave me a visa because of my restaurant. That is how it works here. You open the business first, the business proves itself, and then it sponsors you. Mine did. I got the visa. I was happy. I thought the hard part was behind me. Then came 2020.

We survived the pandemic by a single year. The money ran out and we closed. When my renewal came due, the officer asked the one question that determined my case: Is the business still operating? It was not. Visa denied.