I would not worry at all about coming to the U.S. The negative things you are hearing are a bunch of misinterpreted, alarmist bull with no basis in fact.
The "developers" who have lost jobs are mostly from companies that failed because they did not have a proper business model and had no strong financial structure on which to stand. As I understand it, most of them were probably web developers. Of course that means that most of them were probably art design types as well as html and ASP weenies. I'm sure anybody who had as strong a background as you described yourself had no problem finding another job.
A quick search through any job posting site will show that demand for developers with your background far exceeds supply. There is in fact talk about increasing the number of H1B's from what I understand. Now don't just look at the job seach sites like Monster and Dice. It would probably be more beneficial to check out the job sites for the newspapers of many cities. For example, a keyword search for "java" on the jobs section of
www.washingtonpost.com returned the maximum number of hits.
Java is now firmly entrenched in enterprise computing and will not be going anywhere soon. The skillset you possess is exactly what companies are desparately seeking.
Again realize that all the hype and recent "downturn" in the IT sector is just a matter of evolution. Companies with a poor foundation who really had no business operating in the first place are becoming extinct. Companies are no longer jumping after everything that is hi-tech and internet, and are instead more cautious about how they invest in their infrastructure. But despite this caution, it is important to remember that demand for developers is still outpacing supply.
But don't take my
word for it. I strongly urge you to check out the job sections online for newspapers of major cities like I suggested. This will give you a better understanding of where the job market is right now.
J
