Friday, August 15, 2008 | Modified: Monday, August 18, 2008 - 4:30 AM
Immigration issues frustrate owners from overseasTampa Bay Business Journal - by Margie Manning Senior Staff Writer

KATHLEEN CABBLE
Entrepreneur Sue Fern stays stateside to avoid re-entry troubles.

PALM HARBOR — A visa program designed to encourage the American dream of business ownership has turned into a nightmare for a businesswoman from the United Kingdom.

Sue Fern, the owner of the business development firm Event Pro-ssss, said she is trapped in the United States, unable to return to England to see her family under provisions of an E-2 visa she acquired 10 years ago in order to start her business. If she leaves the United States, there’s no guarantee she’ll be allowed to return, she said.

She has to extend her status every two years, costing thousands of dollars in legal fees. When she decides to retire or sell the business, she faces deportation.

Fern cannot apply to become a permanent U.S. resident without transitioning to a different visa program that would require a hefty upfront investment.

“We love living here,â€