While the legislation is supposedly modelled on immigration systems in Canada and Australia, both countries are far more welcoming of foreigners. Australia admits three times as many immigrants per year than the U.S. as a share of population. Canada accepts more than twice as many, and concierges help fast-track the process for high-skilled workers.

Any point system is also arbitrary and reflects the biases of politicians—namely, Messrs. Cotton and Perdue—rather than the needs of employers. While a foreign professional degree in a scientific field is worth 10 points, a U.S. bachelor’s degree in English gets six. A 26-year-old receives 10 points—five times as many points as a 46-year-old. Employers have a better idea of the skills they need than does the Labor Department bureaucracy.