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2.1. Is it wrong to stay?

The short answer is no. A lot of (uninformed) people will argue that by staying and working in the US, you are taking the job away from jobless Americans (they should be obviously protected by the law). But the evidence shows that in your specific case, the argument is not valid:

You are highly skilled labor: Having a college degree, several years of work experience and an MBA easily qualifies you as highly skilled labor. The US has always acknowledged the benefits derived from that kind of immigration, and has provided legal ways for this kind of people to work legally (see Immigration issues). If it is legal, it should not be wrong. With your qualifications, it is highly probable that your contribution to the nation will far outweigh the disadvantages derived from your immigration.

It is an immigrant country: The US is an immigrant country. Chances are most people you meet are only 2nd or 3rd generation Americans. That means of you immigrate, you’ll be having the same opportunity millions of people have had before, and seen in perspective, there is not much of a difference. Americans have always been proud of having a diverse workforce, and agree on the benefits derived from that.

Low unemployment: The last few years have seen solid economic growth with very low unemployment. This means the job you get is probably newly created and is not taking anybody else’s. Additionally, unemployment for highly skilled labor is even lower than for the general labor force. The US currently has a low unemployment rate (around 4.7%) while for the college-educated is even lower (around 2%). For MBA graduates from highly recognized programs it may be as low as zero, considering normal transitions and selectivity of applicants.

Having said this, we should also caution you: a lot of the people you meet in your everyday life may be very opinionated on the subject, or simply don’t know anything about it. Thus, the best policy is not to talk too much about the issue, and simply say something like “I’m considering staying for a couple of years, for training purposes”. They will accept you more easily.

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