08/23/2004 IMMIGRATION ALERT
40,000 H-1s ALREADY

 

USCIS has notified the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that it had received 40,000 H-1B filings subject to the fiscal 2005 cap of 65,000 H-1 visas, as of August 4, 2004. Of those 40,000, 21,000 have been approved, CIS officers are reviewing the remaining 19,000.

It is worth noting that of the 65,000 available, 7,000 are reserved for Singapore and Chile under recent Free Trade Agreements. Accordingly, Hammond Law Group is projecting that the FY 2005 H-1 cap will be reached by October 2004.

It is not expected that Congress will take any action on any significant immigration legislation until after the November elections, if at all, without prodding from the business community. Employers are encouraged to contact their legislators to raise their awareness about this issue. Congressional representatives can be reached at the links below; generally they prefer to be contacted by email.
 

House of Representatives:
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Senate:
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