President Trump paid a high compliment to Australia Friday, saying he wants the U.S. to copy their merit-based immigration system.
“It’s the way to go,” Mr. Trump said during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. “And you’ve been very successful with it. Here, we’re working very hard to do the same. In that sense, we’re going to, hopefully, follow in your footprints.”
To drive the point home, the president turned to the cameras and asked aloud, “Are my friends from Congress listening to that? Merit-based.”
Under Australia’s strict immigration policy, skilled workers apply to migrate to either through a points-based system or by getting an employer to sponsor them for permanent residence. The government targets migrants with skills that will contribute to the Australian economy, a concept that Mr. Trump has been pushing in stalled negotiations with Congress.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.