There's a chance he could get a B visitor's visa. I mean, maybe not a great one, but it's worth a try.
Focus on what you can do to make that application tight.
-what ties does he have to his home country? Job, family, rent/mortgage, that type of thing
-has he traveled to other places and successfully come back (ie a history of obeying visa rules)
This might be a long-term process, but love and immigration often are.