Here is a post I put up back in 2002. I have read some questions on this and thought it might be usefull to people getting confused with the process. I got my GC a while back (2002) but visit occassionally to help out with information based on my experience from time to time. Hope you enjoy this reading. -
For some time now, I've been reading all sorts of questions regarding FP scheduling, their relationship to RD / ND and approval dates based on finger printing dates. Recently, I had the unique opportunity of having a long and hearty conversation with an IIO at the Vermont Service Center (this is before the 800 number came in place). I'm not a lawyer and by no means can this be construed as legal advice. Having said that, my information provider at the center seemed to put it well in words for me. Here's an overview of the process:
"Finger Printing process and the Adjudication Process are disjoint processes. The only point of connection is that FP happens after a receipt for 485 is sent out and before an approval/denial is awarded for the apprlication to adjust." - more or less a quote from the IIO.
The process explained was somewhat like this - After an application is received, a notice is sent out for the application to the lawyer. Thereafter, the Svc. Ctr. informs the local svc. ctr. to process the FP. The local svc. ctr. is based on the address of the applicant. This process is fairly quick and happens within a matter of 2-4 months from RD depending on the Regional Svc. Ctr. Thereafter, it is upto the local svc. ctr. to schedule the FP date. Each local svc. ctr. has its own set of rules depending on its workload to schedule FP's. Some get it done immediately and some wait a while if they are backlogged with some other issues or simply because early processing of FP might not advisable because of the validity period being one year. If the local svc. ctr. does not get it done immediately, most of them keep track of processing dates and batch up FP's based on that i.e. if VSC is processing May cases, a particular local svc. ctr. will conduct FP's for Sept. cases while another will conduct FP's for July cases, again, depending on the work load.
In the worst case scenario, if an immigration officer picks up a case for processing whose FP's have not been done, it informs the local svc. ctr. on this issue. The local svc. ctr. then conducts the FP for that applicant immediately. It is upto the officer to decide on continuing the case or holding it till the completion of FP. If the case is processed and a decision is reached, that decision is conveyed to the applicant as soon as the FP clearance is received. If not, the case is picked up again when the FP clearance is received.
IMPORTANT - Completion of a FP process does not mean that your application gets a high priority processing status. Application for AOS are processed based on 485 processing dates published by the regional service center and not based on FP completion date. As such, if you want to know when a decision on your case will be taken, please refer to processing times for your respective centers.
Hope this is helpfull and clears up doubts a lot of you'll have. Again this is not legal advise and may be incorrect too. But from the nature of my conversation, the eagerness of the IIO to explain the process clearly, and some logical thinking, I can assume this is correct.
For some time now, I've been reading all sorts of questions regarding FP scheduling, their relationship to RD / ND and approval dates based on finger printing dates. Recently, I had the unique opportunity of having a long and hearty conversation with an IIO at the Vermont Service Center (this is before the 800 number came in place). I'm not a lawyer and by no means can this be construed as legal advice. Having said that, my information provider at the center seemed to put it well in words for me. Here's an overview of the process:
"Finger Printing process and the Adjudication Process are disjoint processes. The only point of connection is that FP happens after a receipt for 485 is sent out and before an approval/denial is awarded for the apprlication to adjust." - more or less a quote from the IIO.
The process explained was somewhat like this - After an application is received, a notice is sent out for the application to the lawyer. Thereafter, the Svc. Ctr. informs the local svc. ctr. to process the FP. The local svc. ctr. is based on the address of the applicant. This process is fairly quick and happens within a matter of 2-4 months from RD depending on the Regional Svc. Ctr. Thereafter, it is upto the local svc. ctr. to schedule the FP date. Each local svc. ctr. has its own set of rules depending on its workload to schedule FP's. Some get it done immediately and some wait a while if they are backlogged with some other issues or simply because early processing of FP might not advisable because of the validity period being one year. If the local svc. ctr. does not get it done immediately, most of them keep track of processing dates and batch up FP's based on that i.e. if VSC is processing May cases, a particular local svc. ctr. will conduct FP's for Sept. cases while another will conduct FP's for July cases, again, depending on the work load.
In the worst case scenario, if an immigration officer picks up a case for processing whose FP's have not been done, it informs the local svc. ctr. on this issue. The local svc. ctr. then conducts the FP for that applicant immediately. It is upto the officer to decide on continuing the case or holding it till the completion of FP. If the case is processed and a decision is reached, that decision is conveyed to the applicant as soon as the FP clearance is received. If not, the case is picked up again when the FP clearance is received.
IMPORTANT - Completion of a FP process does not mean that your application gets a high priority processing status. Application for AOS are processed based on 485 processing dates published by the regional service center and not based on FP completion date. As such, if you want to know when a decision on your case will be taken, please refer to processing times for your respective centers.
Hope this is helpfull and clears up doubts a lot of you'll have. Again this is not legal advise and may be incorrect too. But from the nature of my conversation, the eagerness of the IIO to explain the process clearly, and some logical thinking, I can assume this is correct.