[ergothus]

I'm hardly qualified to address the nuances of the immigration system: were it up to me, anyone willing to work and pay taxes would be welcome here (I'm particularly baffled that the U.S. will further the education and/or experience of people, then make it hard for them to stay), so it that sense your proposed visa is still too much paperwork, too many unnecessary rules.

That said, it certainly sounds like an improvement over the status quo: slightly better quality of life for the Seattle-like folks, and real options to reduce employers taking advantage of desperate employees.