Passport validity period for issuing h1b visa

[sandy100]

Passport validity period for issuing h1b visa- please help urgent

Hi,

I got my h1b papers approved and am attending for H1b visa at Frankfurt, Germany this month.
Question :
1) Is it compulsory that passport validity period should be more than h1b validity period for issuing the visa?. My passport expires in 2005 and h1b validity is till 2007! Is this a serious issue to be worried about?

thanks