He wasn't denied a visitor visa, he's been banned for life and that can't be overturned. Quite different. He also has a girlfriend in the US, so that's over for him. That's life changing.
BTW, he doesn't exactly need a visa, he was on an ESTA.
BTW, he doesn't exactly need a visa, he was on an ESTA.
If he really was banned for life there's more to the story than his inability to prove non-immigrant intent (e.g. fraud, criminal history, etc.). Even people present in the US illegally for extended periods of time are not banned for life.
Edit: Added source. All that is needed is that they believe you lied to a U.S. government official and they can ban you for life.
It can basically be considered fraud if this is true:
> When making the false representation, the person intended to deceive a U.S. government official authorized to act upon the request (generally an immigration or consular officer).
And this is the consequence:
> The person will be barred from admission for the rest of his or her life unless the person qualifies for and is granted a waiver.
https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-j-chapter-...