[tostitos1979]

I make a value judgement that the economy needs startups that work on deep, meaningful technologies. While they are certainly instances where people without advanced education are able to innovate in deep technology disciplines, there are many cases where education is the key barrier to entry. If someone spent a decade getting specialized education in an area like FPGA, MEMS design, etc. I do think they should have an easier path into the country than someone with no specialized education. Canada is trying the "we'll give you a visa if your startup is funded by recognized investors". I think that stops people who have bootstrapped ventures or funding from their own savings/family savings. I'm also not saying advanced education is THE requirement. I'm saying, it should be one of the possible options. That's just my opinion :)

With convertible notes that are sometimes given to member companies of distinguished seed funds, I think getting to 345K isn't a stretch.