Theoretical approaches dealing with immigration control policy explain what determines states’ decisions regarding three main matters, i.e. the number, type, and country of origin of immigrants who are accepted. Trying to account for policy outcomes, they usually use different perspectives and they recognise various factors as the main determinants. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate and compare a few of these theoretical perspectives and to make some recommendations for students and academics interested in migration policies in Central and Eastern European countries.