Hi mainegc,
Once you filed your 485 (and gotten your EAD), most importantly, fingerprint is what you will have to get done. Ideally it should be just before your case is processed for final approval. Not a standard, though. Some people have had their FP (Fingerprints) done right after 485 filing and then wait for one or two years before their 485 is approved.
Once fingerprinting is done, ideally the regional center (Vermont Service Center VSC, for example) should approve the 485 and send you a letter of approval and a stamping date for your I-551 (Temporary GC stamp on passport).
As we all know, "ideal" is not so ideal and common, INS/USCIS may decide (for various reasons) to have a 485 processed at a local district office under whose jurisdiction an appilcant may fall in.
Some of the reasons include, [ not an exhaustive list]
1. INS may want to check if the applicant has maintained status over the past few years and has been on a payroll. [Interviews can be conducted easily at the local office than to ask someone to travel all the way to a regional center]
2. If a local office is processing faster than the regional office, "offloading" /"distributing" some of the work.
I am sure other Gurus can shed more light on the topic.....
Bottomline, it is not a must that the case should/will get transferred to a local office. If it gets transferred, some of the threads here will be highly useful to track the interview/processing dates.
In general you should be able to track your current status from the INS site using several methods. One of the simplest is to register your EAC number at the INS site by providing your email so that you get updates whenever any change happens to your file.
Visit
https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp;jsessionid=dGkBH1FGnt4c
for more information on how you can track your status.
Good luck,
V!!
