Quoted from immigrationportal.com:
"Just called in NSC , Polite and very helpful IO gave me following information
- 18,000 cases are pending (last week they told me that 20,000 - so 2,000 cases were approved in one week...way to go...)
- they have created a pool for "mostly approved cases"
- did not give any details about how many cases are in that pool
- have assigned "group of officers" to clear all these pool cases ASAP
- their intensions are to clear as many applications as possible
- random cases approval due to this pool affect as which ever cases are looks good gets OKI DOKI from officer..."
"I think there are enough visa numbers available to all 485 that was pending as on May 2007. I think as of may 07, there may be about 70,000 EB visas are available for remaining of this fiscal year. USCIS has reported that it has about 39,000 approvable (processed, pre-adjudicated, no name check issues) 485s were pending as of May 2007. Even, if they have only 40,000 EB visas left as on May 2007, this number is sufficient to approve those pending 485s. What I understand is, if any 485 pending more than 1 year as of May 2007, and has no name check issue, finger printed with code 3, and replied to RFE in any, it will fall with in 39,000 pool. Those 485s will get approved by Aug/September.
This is what I found in USCIS reply to Omdusman.
Details of pre-adjudicated 485s pending as on May 2007
This category includes 39,121 processed applications for adjustment of status to permanent residence that cannot be approved because of annual statutory limits. Once additional numbers are made available, generally each fiscal year, these cases may be granted, as long as the beneficiaries continue to be otherwise eligible for the benefit."