I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The immigration talked about is only tangentially international immigration. It is more about people who already have the right to work in the US immigrating to Pittsburgh. The other immigration problem is more of a national one and has been the subject of much longer and better articles and posts.
I don't think AlphaLab is offering six-month tourist visas. Doing something like AlphaLab or YC on a tourist visa is likely to be illegal, and I think they would fund a company with people who are abroad only if the circumstances are right. It is still up to the USCIS to grant the visas, anyways.
I was not being literal. Pittsburgh has so much talent that they don't need an incubator that attracts it from elsewhere. They need more appeal to the talent that's already there, like the founders of Buxfer.
By the way, to all who want to understand the deep roots and historical foundations of how the Bay Area got where it is in this ecosystem, let me be the millionth YC reader to recommend The Secret History of Silicon Valley:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=101527
Except, Alphalab primarily appeals to the talent in Pittsburgh. Of all the companies selected for funding, ours (Sonyalabs) is the only one which was founded by non-residents.
Cool. I'm being too gruff. If they shake loose one more startup in the area, even if they have to decamp to warmer climes when their lease is up, that's a great thing for Pittsburgh.
I don't think AlphaLab is offering six-month tourist visas. Doing something like AlphaLab or YC on a tourist visa is likely to be illegal, and I think they would fund a company with people who are abroad only if the circumstances are right. It is still up to the USCIS to grant the visas, anyways.