This is/was already done to some degree. I don't have all the details but relatives on both sides of my family had to prove "their value" when applying to ente

This is/was already done to some degree. I don't have all the details but relatives on both sides of my family had to prove "their value" when applying to enter the United States (from China). The application process is a long (on the order of years) and tedious one with no guarantees. A bit off-topic: Some of you may recall the hoopla in California a couple years ago regarding granting amnesty/citizenship to illegal immigrants who had been in the country long enough. One angle the media did little reporting on is how upset those who played by the rules and went/were going through the actual immigration process were that they were being bumped by those who broke the rules and entered the country illegally. It's not all that different from how financially-responsible people are upset today that the irresponsible receiving bailouts.