Michael Walzer is a much-cited figure in recent debates over the state’s right to control immigration. He argues that if states are to be ‘communities of character,’ they must be able to decide who joins them. Miller begins by examining critically his claim that immigrant admissions are not a matter of justice. Walzer nevertheless appeals to the principle of mutual aid to explain why states are required, within limits, to admit refugees, especially those who are their ethnic or political ‘kinfolk.’ He distinguishes between nation-states, consociations, and immigrant societies as types of political regime. Miller asks how this effects their respective claims to control immigration as ‘communities of character.’ In particular, the US, as an immigrant society, should only exercise minimal control. The communitarian-sounding language of Spheres of Justice thus applies most readily to European societies. Finally, Miller examines Walzer’s hostility to guest-worker schemes. He suggests that temporary migration programmes can be designed in such a way as to protect the economic and social rights of migrants, even if they are not offered paths to permanent residence or citizenship.