October 2004  USCIS announces H-1B cap reached       The total H-1B visas available for FY 2005 are 58,200.  USCIS has already received enough petitions to reach the limit for 2005.  USCIS will now not accept any new H-1B petitions that are subject to the FY 2005 annual cap.        For the remainder of FY 2005,   USCIS will now return all petitions for first-time employment subject to the annual cap. Returned petitions will be accompanied by the filing fee. Petitioners may re-submit their petitions when H-1B visas become available for FY 2006. The earliest date a petitioner may file a petition requesting FY 2006 H-1B employment with an employment start date of October 1, 2005, would be April 1, 2005.     Petitions for current H-1B workers do not count towards the congressionally mandated H-1B cap.  Accordingly, USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to:   Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States. Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers. Allow current H-1B workers to change employers. Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.     USCIS also notes that petitions for new H-1B employment are not subject to the annual cap if the alien will be employed at an institution of higher education or a related or affiliated nonprofit entity, or at a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization.   Please contact our office at 603-228-1277 for more information!     Coming Soon to a Location Near You: Appointments Through InfoPass: No More Walk-In Service       InfoPass is an internet-based system that allows you to schedule appointments with Information Officers at USCIS on-line.  InfoPass appointments are only available in two week blocks.  However, people often cancel their InfoPass appointments and if you go to the InfoPass web site after normal business hours, you may be able to schedule an appointment during a time slot that was cancelled by someone else.       The creation of InfoPass means that it will no longer be possible to simply walk into an immigration office to obtain information.  An appointment must be made even to check the status of a pending case or to ask a basic filing question.  USCIS says the program is a way to increase customer service, while in fact it is restricting foreigners’ ability to obtain answers to simple questions.       For the InfoPass web site address, please refer to the On-line Resources section of this Newsletter.     Advisory:  Submit Clear Color Copies of all Identification Documents for Employment Authorization and Advance Parole Applications       Applications for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD, work authorization) and Advance Parole (AP, travel authorization) require the applicant to submit a color copy of the biographic page of his/her passport, and/or a color copy of other photo identification.  In the past, USCIS has always accepted black and white copies of I.D.  However, now we must submit color copies of the ID.     Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2004       Through the U.S. Resettlement Program, the United States admitted 52,875 refugees representing more than 40 nationalities during fiscal year 2004. This represents more than an 85% increase over the number of refugees admitted in fiscal year 2003.       The United States remains committed to a vigorous refugee admissions program and will continue to welcome refugees for whom resettlement is the most appropriate durable solution. Since 1975, we have admitted over 2.5 million refugees for resettlement in the United States. We lead the world in offering resettlement to those in need, and we encourage other countries to participate actively in this humanitarian effort.     Did you know?       The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Immigration Statistics has released its monthly statistical report for the month of July 2004, covering topics such as: inspections, Southwest border apprehensions, immigration benefits, naturalization benefits, removals, and asylum.       Please see the attached link for more information: http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/msrjuly04/index.htm   Best Lawyers in America 2005-2006       Every two years, the National Polling Firm Woodward-White performs an exhaustive search for the country's top Attorneys and publishes their names in its comprehensive volume "The Best Lawyers in America".       The 2005-2006 list has just been completed, and Attorney John R. Wilson has been selected under the "Immigration Law" category.       Congratulations John! We are very proud of you! For more information about InfoPass, please visit: http://infopass.uscis.gov/  If you have any comments on our newsletter, any topics you would like to see reviewed or if you have news, events or other items of interest that you would like to share - please forward your comments and suggestions to abouley@goffandwilson.com. Copyright 2003 Goff and Wilson Professional Association - www.goffandwilson.com - unsubscribe One Capitol St., PO Box 347, Concord, NH 03302-0347 v: 603.228.1277    f: 603.226.0791    info@goffandwilson.com