August 2005 National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Announced the Date for the Winter 2005 Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination   According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) the next Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) will be held on December 3, 2005 and offered at the following three (3) areas of the US:  Eastern; Midwestern, and Western United States sites. NABP will continue to accept FPGEC applications.   Registration Letters for the December 3, 2005 examination will be mailed in August or September, 2005, to those who have been accepted to sit for the exam.   After the examination, NABP will mail your FPGEC examination results to the address on your Score Report Address Form approximately 8 to 10 weeks after the test date. Your score cannot be obtained earlier and will not be reported by telephone, fax, or e-mail.     Update Regarding H-1B Visas   U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that as of July 28, 2005, it had received 10,150 H-1B petitions that will count against the Congressionally-mandated exemption cap for fiscal year 2005 (October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005) established by the H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004. The new regulations, which took effect on May 5, 2005, changed the H-1B filing procedures for FY 2005 and for future fiscal years. The regulations make available 20,000 new H-1B visas, only for foreign workers with a minimum master’s level degree from a U.S. academic institution, in addition to the Congressionally mandated annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas.   For fiscal year 2006, of the 65,000 H-1B visas available,  already 49,040 has been applied for, of which 21,252 have been approved. This means that as of 7/29/05, there are less 20,000 remaining. Our office encourages corporations and employers to file an application now for fiscal year 2006. These cases can be processed by the USCIS in about 15 business days with an employment  start date of October 1, 2005.    Established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1990, the H-1B visa category allows U.S. employers to augment the existing labor force with highly skilled temporary workers. H-1B workers are admitted to the United States for an initial period of three years, which may be extended one time for an additional three years.   H-1B occupations include architects, engineers, computer programmers, accountants, doctors and college professors. The H-1B visa program is also utilized by some U.S. businesses to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in a specialized field, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.    As part of the H-1B program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires U.S. employers to meet specific labor conditions to ensure that American workers are not adversely impacted, while the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division safeguards the treatment and compensation of H-1B workers.   Please contact our office at 603-228-1277 for more information about H-1B visas!      CGFNS Designates Five Nursing Schools in Quebec, Canada, as "English-Language Schools"   Philadelphia, PA — July 14, 2005   The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) today designated five (5) nursing schools in the province of Quebec, Canada, as offering "nursing programs in which the language of instruction is English," as authorized by section 212(r) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and its related regulations. This designation enables graduates of nursing programs who have a valid, unrestricted license in one of five (5) U.S. states and who intend to be employed in that state to be eligible for issuance of a certified statement, provided they meet other requirements of section 212(r). The five (5) U.S. states are: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan and New York.   McGill University in Montreal, Vanier College in St. Laurent, John Abbott College in Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Dawson College in Montreal, and Heritage College in Gatineau.   USCIS Announces Planned Improvements   July 13, 2005   DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a six-point agenda for the Department designed to ensure that policies, operations, and structures are aligned in the best way to address the potential threats – both present and future – that face our nation.   USCIS is working to transform the delivery of our immigration services to make our systems more efficient and secure. As a customer-oriented agency, processing more than 7 million applications annually, one of the greatest responsibilities the USCIS faces is to ensure the highest quality service for their constituency.   The numbers of existing backlog caseloads dipped below the 1 million mark for the first time this past month.             USCIS continues to work towards the goal of a maximum six-month processing time for all received applications.   Did you know?   Every day, the 15,000 federal and contract employees of USCIS accomplish the following at 250 offices worldwide:   Ø       Conduct 135,000 national security background checks; Ø       Answer phone inquiries from 82,000 calls to the toll-free customer service phone line; Ø       Process 30,000 applications for immigration benefits. To read the Frequently Asked Questions about the upcoming FPGEE exam please visit http://www.nabp.net/faq/faqfpgee.asp   For more information about the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) please visit www.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 2004 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