I 485 application

I have a friend from the Middle East who is attempting to get a green card. She has been married to an American for three years and is hoping to get her green card very soon. She has already had her interview and fingerprints but it appears that she is stuck in the FBI background search. Is there a way to expidite this process or to get a hold of someone in the FBI who can give her a concrete answer as to when her application will be reviewed? She and her husband are planning on paying an attorney a thousand dollars to help out. Is this her best option? Someone sent me a link once that had a form you could fill out and send to the FBI for immediate assistance on this type of problem and reported success with it. Anybody aware of this?

If the attorney is an immigration specialist and knows what they are doing, getting them involved should speed up the process. As for a form that can be filled out, if it exists the immigration attorney should know where it is. They should also know if it will do any good.

Please remember that you can usually go into an attorney's office for a free consultation and find out what they can or cannot do. Another option is to present the matter at www.legalmatch.com. Your friends should ask and be clear what they can and cannot expect from the immigration attorney's participation... and they should be clear as to their options.

Nothing substitutes research and asking attorneys is one of the best types of research one can do in such situations.

Thanks for your reply. From what I have heard over the last several months, she is not too fond of this lawyer, who has bluntly stated she has "had problems with Arabs" in the past. I am also under the impression that immigration law is not her specialty but my friend is willing to plunk down money to see what happens. My friend's husband is also seeking her assistance with a child custody case and my friend is hoping this atty can essentially kill two birds with one stone. It's an unbelievably convoluted story but she wants to know what is specifically in her file.