As a half-way measure, pro-immigration economists often argue in favor of charging immigrants an admission fee.  It’s better than not letting them in at all.  But there are two big problems:

1. Admission fees are especially hard on low-skill immigrants.  Even though their lifetime wage boost will far exceed any plausible admission fee, they won’t qualify for a loan without far more collateral than they’ll ever get their hands on.

2. Admission fees probably sound a lot like “bribes” to American voters.  It almost sounds like we’re selling Americanness – an egregious taboo.

A better half-way measure: Instead of a flat admission fee, admit immigrants who agree to pay a surtax.  E.g. they have to pay an extra 10 percentage points on their taxes.  Advantages:

1. It solves the collateral problem for low-skill immigrants.  They don’t need to come up with a big lump-sum payment, just find a job.

2. For reasons I don’t understand, voters are a lot less likely to see an immigration surtax as a “bribe.”  Indeed, voters might even feel good to know that immigrants are “paying their dues.”

I don’t have much hope for either admission fees or surtaxes.  But surtaxes seem like better policy and better politics.  Am I wrong?