Wanted to share my timeline and experience after finally receiving full approval on my (marriage-based) I-485. I recognize that this may not apply to many in this community, but if I can help even one person better navigate the inefficiency of this process and the resulting stress and anxiety that it creates, then it will have been worthwhile.

• 05/23/2022: Submission Date
  • Documents Submitted (together): I-130, I-485, I-765 and I-131
  • Service Center: IOE
• 06/29/2022: Biometrics Appointment completed
• 10/18/2022: Requested Expedited Processing
  • Did this via the Virtual Agent Emma and was given an expedite reference #. It didn't take much convincing to get them to at least open the request.
• 10/26/2022: Got* an email outlining that my expedite request was received and provided guidance on approval criteria and asked me to send supporting evidence to the USCIS field office (with the address provided)
  • * I didn't actually receive this email. I only found out because I happened to check for a status update using live chat. The agent said "you got an email related to this earlier this morning"... but I didn't get an email and I'm 100% certain of that. She ended up copying and pasting the text from that email into the live chat window. I did receive a letter in the mail a few days later.
• 10/27/2022: I printed out my supporting evidence package and walked over to my local field office. To my surprise, I got through multiple security checkpoints without an appt. and was able to talk to someone in a booth. However, they refused to take my package and asked to me post it to the exact same address. I ended up using the post office on the ground floor of the same building (yes, I spent $2 posting the envelope from the ground floor to a higher floor in the same building!)
• 10/31/2022: Woke up to the "We have taken an action on your case..." email that I received at about 6am. Logged in and voila, my 1-485 was fully approved with an approval date of 10/30/2022 (a Sunday no less...) and Interview was waived. I-130 was approved later the same day.

Hopefully, my nightmare is over but I'll believe it when I see the card in my hands. End to end my process took about 5 months and I'm very thankful that it's over. However, despite my approval, I am still so angry at the process and the limbo that many of us get left in for no good reason.

Happy to answer any questions.