You are right; your case is typical. The logic of our immigration policy is that, in principle, immigration is not allowed. As it is obviously stupid, there are multiple exemptions, but the bureaucratic process is purposely designed in a way to let potential immigrants know in every step that they are intruders disturbing a blissful peace.

I know it as an immigrant myself, with family and friends being immigrants as well.

As a political writer, I did my due diligence on immigration: https://www.freedomofmigration.com/.

Recently, on Medium, I co-founded a publication devoted to discussion between people of different opinions about immigration, https://virtualagora.us/. Please check it out, consider contributing.