[furburger]

okay come on you have totally warped expectations of what a work visa provides. work visas are not created to allow you to wonder silicon valley looking for cool startups to join. nor should it. thats what residency visas are for. a work visa should be tied to an employer. you seem to think you need a work visa in order to get a residency visa...no. tens of thousands of people every year become US citizens simply because they want to.

[potatolicious]

Unless you know something the rest of us don't, I think you're grossly misinformed. There's no skilled labour immigration track in the USA, and the only way to live/work in the country for many people is on the H-1B and TN visas. The latter does not lead to permanent residence, while the former does (and chains to your sponsor company as a wage slave).

The point that the article (and other posters here) are making is that you should be allowing these people to wander Silicon Valley looking for jobs. Instead of treating them as temps who must leave the country shortly, they need to be welcomed and given the opportunity to become Americans.