Lorvin

Print out your I-94 info > https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html
Follow this guide for getting the SSN > http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn
Follow this guide for AOS > http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos
The fees are listed here > http://www.uscis.gov/i-485
The fees for the I-765(EAD-work authorization) and I-131(AP-advance parole for travel) are waived when filed with a pending I-485, so include both of those too. It takes about 60-90 days to receive the EAD/AP combo card, which will allow you to work(along with an SSN) and re-enter the US when traveling abroad while waiting for the green card approval.
You need all the supporting documents for each form as well, so read the instructions for each one. You can also search here on VJ for what to include with each form if you get stumped. There are also example forms here on VJ you can look at when filling out the forms. They can be helpful.
Oh, and here are the details you need about whether or not you need to see a civil surgeon > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/428381-i-693-report-of-medical-examination-and-vaccination-report/?p=6206232
~ Moved from K-1 Process to AOS from Family Based Visas - topic is AOS, not K-1 ~

A few months back Josh, from the June thread, analyzed the processing/approval patterns at TSC. He found that each day of the week certain types of cases were processed and basically only one day of the week was for working down the list of I-1129fs (non priorities, RFEs, etc). Remember too that TSC processes petitions other than I-129fs. That's why I was encouraged for us when we had two days of significant approvals last week - hoping that a change was made to the schedule to accomodate increased processing of I-129fs.

Well what do you know. The Tier 2 agent wasn't blowing smoke. I just received the notice of APPROVAL!!!! The texts and email came through as I was writing the above post. May it be one of many tonight and every day until all of us are celebrating together!!!

Thanks James&Jhon!
I think you may be right. When we received ours I noticed that many were sent out at exactly the same time 8:45 PM EST. I do recall others saying that they received their approvals even later in the evening. I've read a third party updates the system and since they are contract employees they can work all hours.

Well what do you know. The Tier 2 agent wasn't blowing smoke. I just received the notice of APPROVAL!!!! The texts and email came through as I was writing the above post. May it be one of many tonight and every day until all of us are celebrating together!!!

Things are looking up that's for sure. You are so right the last few days have been very promising and exciting! We are all so close now to getting approved. I pray our day will come soon!!

Thanks everyone - I put you all in my prayers last night. Soon we will be starting an Approved July TSC Filer thread to tack the next phase(s) of our journeys. All the best to ALL of you!!

I don't understand why you guys are so stuck on this Christian thing...just because he mentioned he is strictly Christian and would like to stay with his girlfriend now that he know she is pregnant? Who cares, it is not our business to judge what he believes is right as a Christian and what he isn't. So drop it, people.
@OP: As others said, go via AOS.
All the best to you and your girlfriend!

Congrats Josh from July filers! You gave us invaluable insight and peace of mind.

For those lucky people who are getting approvals from TSC... don't forget to update your profile with your NOA2... jumping up the ladder on Igor's list is my only prop for now.
thanks...and congrats to all who are getting good news and the rest can't be too far off.

Around the time I first joined VJ I remember reading someone's observation that once the preceding month got to 50% completed cases they would start to hear decisions regarding the next month's cases. I know Igor's List isn't very accurate, for reasons discussed over and over, but I thought I'd pass it along to add to our optimism for hearing something soon, since June is very near the 50% mark!

Two things come to mind:
1. It seems you know what the right thing to do is. You're not going to find many people on these forums telling you to get married (without following the legal protocol, with a K-1) when you know what your girlfriend did was illegal.
2. This is a little off-topic and maybe even nosy, but if your "girlfriend" makes such life-altering decisions without even informing you...are you sure she's really your girlfriend and that you want to marry this person? How do you know this is the first time she's done this?

The answer to your thread title is "USCIS."
Edit: Look at the different Service Centers, CSC & TSC. Most of the difference is due to that.
2nd Edit: CSC processes significantly faster than TSC. USCIS doesn't appropriately spread the applications across the 2 SCs.

^This. People say Obama is passing immigration reform. That's about as far from the truth as you can get. Nothing about immigration is being reformed. The system is broken. The process is slow & inefficient. No digital forms means everything is redundant, thus increasing processing speeds. Waiting on snail mail, etc. All that Obama is passing is a way to add 5 million more applications into a broken system. 100% guaranteed that this will inevitably slow down all of our processes, regardless of where we are at individually in the pipeline. I'm all for helping people who have been in the country, working & living, but not paying any taxes to be able to be taxed. What I absolutely quintessentially am not in favor of is leaving the current handling processes alone. That is where the reform is needed. Fix that & then offer the whole world American citizenship for all I care.

Hopefully thats good news for all of us i the information they gave us was correct

I'm sorry, how is pushing back on a ridiculous attack on the President and stating facts about the situation "attacking" someone? If anything, that person owes an apology for turning this thread into yet another Republican attacking the President. Rude.
In response to tour immigration reform thought, we'll have to wait and see, but my thought is that the ma b effects on legal immigration processes will be more about the immense backlog of paperwork that will occur as millions of illegals apply for status at the same time as others who are following the legal process are entering the system. Bet you money no one allows USCIS to hire more people to process the paperwork, so what would normally take months will be extended exponentially. Those of us already in the process can only hope we're already through the entire system before the reforms get passed/implemented.
Just my take, given its still in conversation at this time.
As far as contacting my Congressmen, yes, I'm doing that today, thanks!

That "preferentially treated Phillippine" member filed before the expedite which was issued after the typhoon in Nov 2013. I've been where you are and I know it's really tough, but no need to attack others who are sharing in your pain/misfortune.
It'll be interesting to see how Obama's immigration plan will affect legal immigration. My guess is it won't be good. Those 5 million illegals will need paperwork- and guess who process all that paperwork--pushing our AOS's and legal petitions back even more. I hope I'm wrong but we will see!
Did you contact your congressperson? Mine was great and really helpful. We got our approval about a month after I contacted them. They work for you, it's worth a shot.

This is HORRIBLE waiting for any word whatsoever. And the USCIS website is pathetic and rarely updated.
I've been watching here as well as on their website, and I'm infuriated to see people who filed WAY after we did (at the same service center) are already either at NOA2 and/or already approved! ("In the order that they are received" my a$$.) Meanwhile, we're 167 days and counting, and the NCSC is as worthless as the website.
I'm a federal employee, so a background check on me should not take any time at all - I've already had one!
WHY are we stuck in this void with no word, nothing but sitting here waiting?
I'm happy for the crowdsourced data here that gives a little encouragement that some people are getting through the process, but I'm also angry all the time that we're over all the averages already, and that our Embassy (Pakistan!) is notoriously slow to do their part as well.
It's "a few months for a lifetime together", but my God, we've already been apart 8 months. How much longer???
Thanks for "listening".
Christine

I'm in complete agreement with everything you have said. I know there are things that we "shouldn't say"- but if this is a safe place to vent to other people going through our same experience than people who don't agree with our venting don't have to read it right? I think the number one grievance with this entire process that I have is that as an American citizen, born and raised, I feel as if I have zero rights. Often I feel as if I'm being treated like a criminal with what I have to prove to my government concerning marrying the love of my life. I am still in complete astonishment as to why people from the Phillipines are having their visas expedited after a year...there I said it. Maybe some people are afraid to but at this point I'm so frustrated with this process that it's hard for me to be happy for people who already have their petitions approved as September filers because of a hurricane that happened a year ago. We're getting ready for my fiancé to visit for the holidays and the amount of paperwork we are planning on bringing just so he doesn't get denied entry is stupid to me...that's the only word I can think for it. Again- I feel like he will be interrogated as if he's a criminal just to come visit me. I know I'm not the only one who sees something completely broken with this process. The discrepancy of processing time between CSC and TSC is ridiculous. I could understand if California was processing a couple of weeks ahead of Texas- but 2-3 months ahead is absurd. I've tried to basically keep my mouth shut in terms of being "PC" about everything...but honestly, if I see another Phillipine visa processed in a month I'm going to lose it. It's simply not fair to people who have been waiting MONTHS to be approved. We've only just sent ours in September- but I read other posts and my heart breaks for couples who have been separated for 7 or 8 months. How is that right at all? So I'm glad that you are venting because I've been holding that on for awhile & I needed to get it out. The only glimmer I see is that Texas appears...and I use that word cautiously...but they appear to be moving a bit more quickly. Let's hope. I don't think some people really grasp what months away from the person you love actually feels like. I'm not talking two months either. Two months is very different from 6 or 7 or 8 months. I completely relate with everything you're saying though and I sincerely wish you the best. God Bless.

well they told us on the phone (NOA1 July 1st) that they are processing April, but then they can only say what the public USCIS records say.
Gone from despair to no-where, preparing that we may well be waiting until Feb/March for NOA2. Forget CSC guys, it will just drive you crazy...

Dear Tuscadaro - My sincere wishes for a positive and speedy outcome to your recent news.

NOA1 - July 10
ARN changed - July 15
ARN changed - November 3
Online status via my phone (can't access from desktop) - is at NOA1
Phone status - is at ARN 11/3
USCIS tells me in 11/17 phone call that it's assigned to an adjudicator.
USCIS tell me in 11/19 phone call, no other officer is wrong it's not assigned.
11/21 - Wrote to my congressman, again and both senators giving them a summary of the disparity in processing times, lack of access to status, etc. etc.
I submitted an analysis of the last 15 cases approved at CSC and SRC. Bottom line average processing times, in the same order, 44 vs 168. We all pay the same taxes - our service should be comparable.

Well, if USCIS wants to keep using the line "TSC approves more types of petitions" then move every petition to CSC. Clearly they are running out of work. This wait was EXPECTED, this discrepancy and their inability to do anything about it was NOT. It gets more frustrating by the day as it seems they have no intention of making good on their five months. They pushed April and May out to get people approved within 5 months. What about us? June and July will be coming up on their five months shortly and we have CSC practically approving petitions right out of the lockbox. Ridiculous.
This is our amazing TSC at work:
cali & ray Dominican Republic Texas No 2014-03-12 - 2014-10-20
Glenn & Andy Philippines Texas No 2014-07-02 - 2014-10-16
Gordon & Tanya United Kingdom Texas No 2014-03-14 - 2014-10-15
one petition on the 20th. One on the 16th, a few on the 15th. Are you kidding me? It's the 24th already and now we've hit ANOTHER weekend. If I hear one more person at CSC say 'your time will come! I know how you feel!' Nope, you don't. You waited two weeks. -.- /endrant

How about this, all of the illegals who will now be applying to become legal will clog the system, thereby crowding out all of the legal applicants. In addition, consider the many thousands of dollars you have spent on the legal process. They have jumped in line in front of you and done it for free.
Rather than a backdoor amnesty program, how about making it faster and more transparent to use the legal path.

How about the fact that these illegals are being treated as priorities, and will likely be so treated throughout their application processes (inevitably, they will use different forms, easily identified at intake)...do you really think our visas, greencards and citizenship won't be bumped or affected in some negative way? Who is going to hire and train these new people that USCIS has to hire...generally that is done by existing staff.
The opposition is that preferential treatment is being given to those that violated the system rather than following it, and that the illegal immigrant population has more voice than the citizens trying to legally bring in their families. It will do very little (at least in anything like the foreseeable future) to improve service standards for those of us that followed the rules.