The arguments keep going back and forth: just pay developers more if they're worth more (supply and demand, pay more for what's better, etc) vs work visa requir

The arguments keep going back and forth: just pay developers more if they're worth more (supply and demand, pay more for what's better, etc) vs work visa requirements are protectionist and we should get rid of them. What people seem to forget is that there is a lovely experiment going on that can (partially, with some caveats) answer some of these questions as to what would happen: NAFTA. If you have a technical degree, getting a work visa for the USA as a Mexican or Canadian is fairly simple. There aren't (afaik) any limit to how many there are. I've had a few (internships, full time job in Seattle). So what is the average experience for a Canadian or Mexican on TN visas to the US? I've been one, and I've known quite a few. Purely anecdotal, but as far as I can tell, we're just an increase in the usual supply of developers, which eventually just lowers the average wage of all developers. I'm sure we're pretty smart folks, but we're not worth 10x as much as anyone else- we certainly weren't being paid any more than the others. I think immigration limits for people with jobs lined up in the country they wish to enter are silly, and the whole world ought to have the same access NAFTA residents do. But I also think Paul Graham should admit that simply offering people more money would solve his problem. He's chosen the price he wants to pay, the market says you can't get very many great people at this price, so he's demanding the market change rather than his chosen price.