Hi guys just wanted to confirm some info other posters had posted here.
A call centre agent of CIC called me two hours ago updating me on my case. (I called them first yesterday but the lady on the phone said she didn't have any info but would request people who do to call me back and they did!) She said that my application had been opened but not yet assigned to any officer as the focus of the Ottawa office is on the pre-Sept-2011 applicants. She stressed several times that I should be expecting the first time of communication from the Ottawa office by May as I filed my application in Jan, 2012, I am one of the bunch given secondary priority to. She said it would be in the form of email. I asked her if there was the possibility of me hearing from them sooner than May, and she said yes it is possible. But then she went on to stress that as Ottawa is now trying to finalize all the pre-sept-2011 cases by the end of this month--march to be the worst case scenario--, they are only promising applicants with the same timetable as mine a May deadline.
Hope this is somewhat helpful.