We still don't have a response, my husband sent all the information in April last year and when I inquire about it the VO said that "a review is still ongoing", in other words waiting to be reviewed. I spoke with my MP , he has been checking the application and I have also been following the forum and found that in Mexico ARCs are processed within one or two months, Bucharest took 3 months for one member, New Dehli took seven months and London between one and two months.
Arcs are the last thing they do in the processing of the sponsorship application so prior to the ARC they do background check, check the medicals and if the relationship is genuine. Some VO do it fast and others take their time. I found that the ARC applications processed in Bucharest, Mexico and London were processed as soon as all the sponsorship requirements were met.
Vienna is taking their time, I can tell you that we already passed everything last year and we are still waiting for them to review the ARC. My husband and other members in the forum have been told that the application is in queue to be reviewed by the Immigration Program Manager or a senior officer. This is the long waiting period for us in Vienna. Through my MP I found that VO has to open an ARC file and after six months it comes up for review, however, some of us have been waiting close to a year for the file to be reviewed. Our VO took three months to open my husband's ARC file and his ARC file was coming up for review at the beginning of this year but the VO pushed it forward two more months. My MP told me that in two months they may do the same, if the VO is too busy. In other words who knows, ARCs dont have specific processing times so they can take their time but once they start reviewing it, they have 30 business days to give you an answer but of course they dont tell us that.
Sorry Im so frustrated with this process, I find that there is no accountability for Visa offices and the MP cant do much other than just give you more specific information. I hope you are dealing with one of the good VO's because Vienna has been a nightmare for many of us