Just wondering since online is much more convenient, why would people still choose to apply by mailing in the documents.
Applying online is:
-a bit less convenient for inland because OWP has to be applied for separately, and while theoretically fine, seems another point of confusion and potential failure.
-much more convenient for those who have to juggle signatures and documents since they're all basically scanned.
-confusion about some specific aspects is worse - esp eg which require physical (but scanned) vs 'electronic' signatures, but also a few bit where instructions seem to have become less clear. So probalby somewhat higher rate of return as incomplete.
-As noted by another poster, AOR takes longer - seemingly significant longer (but unclear).
I would summarize this way: a lot of disappointment by many seems to be expectation that online "has to be" faster. No, it doesn't have to be - it potentially could be. For some - esp where document handling and sending is complicated and expensive - it does at least reduce the pain on the front end.
But it is a pilot programme* and having ANY expectation is at your own risk. It could very well be longer.
*I think it's still formally a pilot programme but I'm not certain and I'm too lazy to look it up.