It is not uncommon for US businesses to request more visas for foreign workers (by increasing the H-1B cap allotment, for example), but not as common for a Republican governor to do so. But Michigan Governor Rick Snyder did just that, calling for the US Government to allocate 50,000 employment-based visas for skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs during the next five years for the city of Detroit. As the governor's fact sheet states: "The visas would seek to attract highly-skilled, entrepreneurial, legal immigrants who commit to living and working in Detroit, thereby contributing to its economic and population growth." NBC News reports:

There is no precedent for special visas to be issued for a specific geographic area, Snyder said. But he compared the program to a current one that grants visas to physicians who agree to work in under-served areas.

The Governor's immigration plan announcement is below.