Can I speed up the immigration application process?

Every week we have people come into our office just to ask this question: “My immigration application is taking forever. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?”
For non-naturalization cases, the first step is to go to the USCIS website (https://www.uscis.gov/) and click on “Check your case status” ). You will then see two boxes, “Your current case status” and “Processing times.” Enter the requested information in “Your current case status” to see where your case is in the process, the date it was filed, and which USCIS office is processing the case. Then you can supply the information requested in the “Processing times” box. If your case has been pending for longer than the period stated in the “Processing times” box, there are several steps you can take:
If the case has been transferred to the local office, make an InfoPass appointment (https://my.uscis.gov/appointment) at your local USCIS office.
Make an “e-request” (https://egov.uscis.gov/e-Request/Intro.do). e-Request is a web-based tool that allows you to place an inquiry with USCIS for certain applications and petitions.
Call the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283. Record the NCSC referral number, or agent name and time of call, if a referral number is not provided. This information is required if follow up is necessary. Be prepared for an extended time on hold before your call is answered.
Contact the office of yo