A Bloomberg View editorial comments on an Canadian enterprising law firm that is targeting high-skilled immigrants currently in the U.S. Their pitch: Having trouble working in the U.S.? Look north.

This recruiting strategy is a result of the United States’ counterproductive approach to skilled immigrants. “[T]he U.S. invests heavily in the education of foreigners -- most of whom are enrolled in the science-related fields that fuel high-wage employment -- and then prohibits them from pursuing job opportunities, allowing other nations to reap the benefits,” writes Bloomberg View editors. Does that make any sense?

U.S. companies miss out on needed high-skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers, while our economy misses out on foreign entrepreneurs who want to build businesses here and hire Americans.

National Chamber Foundation fellow Nick Schulz, writes that skilled immigrants “should be considered assets in the context of the broader American economy. This means they can generate incomes and jobs for themselves and for others by raising productivity and increasing the nation’s wealth.”

That a Canadian law firm is trying to pluck away those assets should worry Washington policymakers.

The Bloomberg View editors are correct, “Labor, like capital, is increasingly flowing across borders.”  A 21^st Century Horace Greeley might tell a skilled worker, "Go north, young man.” In this global competition for talent the U.S. economy can’t afford to lose.