Zooni, here is a possible scenario in your case
1) If the application is lacking relevant answers or documents, these must be requested from the applicant through the RFE procedure once the application has been receipted. If such deficiencies can be identified prior to fee acceptance, a "rejection" notice may be used, rather than a request for
additional information.
I think that an RFE can be issued by USCIS at any stage of the 485, early, middle or in the end. But the trend usually is majority of the RFE's are issued towards the end of a 485 lifecycle and usually in most cases after an RFE a 485 is adjudicated.
Background check is a totally different ballgame.
FBI Name Check A name check with Division 4 of the FBI is initiated electronically by the CLAIMS 3 receipt of the I-485. For additional information on FBI Name checks, refer to the memo issued by The Office of the Executive Associate Commissioner titled “Responsibilities of Adjudicators” on November 13, 2002, HQISD 70. Expedited Name Check Procedure In rare cases an applicant may seek a benefit in less than 60 days from the date of receipt of the I-485 (e.g., age-out filings, DV filings). The Service may take the following steps to expedite the name check through the FBI. Step Action 1.1 Initiate the name check with the FBI using the green copy of the G-325A. If the green copy is not legible, attach a legible copy to the green copy and send both to the FBI. This is an absolute requirement. 1.2 Annotate the bottom of the G-325A with the Service Center name. 1.3 Place a coversheet on top of the G-325A that includes the following information: 9. “Expedite Requested” 10. 3 Letter code of the requesting office 11. Fax number of the requesting office where response should be sent 12. Date the benefit will expire 1.4 FedEx or fax the copies to: Field Coordinations Branch US Department of Justice
Immigration and Naturalization Service 800 K Street, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20001 Fax: (202) 514-0197. 1.5 Write “FBI NAME CHECK EXPEDITE” on the outside of the envelope. FBI Records Check Fingerprints are a requirement for every applicant age 14 through 79 years old to determine if they have a criminal history. The U.S. CIS will send the applicant a notice to appear for fingerprinting at an Application Support Center (ASC) located within the jurisdiction of their residence. Applicants who file prior to their 14th birthday do not require the fingerprint fee. However, if at the time of adjudication an applicant has reached the age of 14, he/she is required to pay the $50 (effective February 19, 2002) fingerprint fee and must be scheduled for fingerprinting. If you encounter a case like this, the 14 year-old dependent filing should be separated from the rest of the family group for solicitation of the $50 fee. Once the fee has been requested, the file will be routed to the appropriate shelf until such time as the file is purged or the fee is received. FBI Fingerprint Response At the time of adjudication, the file will contain a screen print of either FBI Query or the CLAIMS-based MRD Fingerprint Tracking System to indicate the present status of the fingerprint checks. The response is valid for 15 months from the date the FBI processed the fingerprints. A definitive response from the FBI regarding fingerprint clearances is required before the application can be approved or transferred to the local office for interview. The chart below will assist you in determining how the case should be handled based on the response received from the FBI. IF the printout shows… THEN… The FBI response description as NON-IDENT Continue processing the I-485 as the fingerprints have cleared. The FBI response description as IDENT Relocate the file once all other evidence is contained in the record, as the applicant must be interviewed. A rap sheet must be included in the file before relocation. If not, send the file to the appropriate POC. The FBI has REJECTED two sets of prints Relocate the file once all other evidence is contained in the record, as the District Office will have to adjudicate this case. Abandonment Denials for Fingerprints Applicants who do not appear at the ASC for fingerprinting within the time frame allowed them will be denied as we consider this an abandonment of their application for failure to appear. If you encounter a case that
has been previously scheduled and 120 days have lapsed since the first day they were scheduled, you must prepare an abandonment denial.
