[ajaxian]

I can testify first-hand that the way the current H1B green card application process is structured actively discourages long-term investment in the US by H1B visa holders.

Given the possibility that you have to leave the US if you lose an H1B job (unless you can find a new one immediately), that makes you less likely to buy a house or a decent car that you will have trouble unloading if you have to leave on short notice. And I have deliberately shifted savings into cash vs. a 401k plan because I can take the cash with me when I leave.