Seems like what the US government is trying to do with the whole H1/L1 visas. Companies like to have immobile employees that they know would not go back to their home country. At the same time, it plays well with the whole immigration debate because no one complains about it, what with the lobbying efforts keeping it down to a murmur.

The startup visa scheme is another such proposition, but at a grander level. Banks want entrepreneurs that won't give up on a bad idea, but would instead keep toiling away rather than have to move their entire family back to their home country.

No one wants to speak from the perspective of an employee because, frankly, the biggest proponents have never been ideal employees. What kind of a talented engineer would want to put themselves into a situation where they lose their freedom to switch careers or engage in a personal idea? So sure, there is a shortage of talent, but not because of a lack of immigrants.