> There is no way SV would have grown to what it is now without foreign talent. So the shortage has been real for the last 30+ years. These two statements are

> There is no way SV would have grown to what it is now without foreign talent. So the shortage has been real for the last 30+ years. These two statements are not linked. One can agree that without foreign talent, SV would not have grown to what it is. On the flip side, this doesn't mean their is a shortage of talent. Simply that their is a shortage of talent that is willing to sell that talent for lower wages and less perks. I can't see how raising the minimum salary will hurt. If you are correct, and the value of this talent is amazing enough, even $130,000 is a paltry sum considering what they should be capable of doing. If raising the minimum salary on all of H1-B visas to $130,000 is too much, one could easily make the assertion that the talent is simply not there. In the end, if there is a talent shortage, salaries should be rising, and they aren't. > Younger people are more willing to move to another country. And they are willing to work for less, too.