It depends on the office you are using, for example my wife is in Hong Kong, I sent the application package from Alberta to their office in Ontario, once there they spent some time deciding if I was a valid sponsor, after they made their decision they shipped the package to Hong Kong which took a very long time because CIC uses the tried-and-true method of cheapest service possible. (Not that ocean-crossing mail is all that quick to begin with). I was able to see that because I made a Request for Information via the Request for Information Act, at the time that I received the information, the latest entry was that the package had been sent to the Hong Kong Visa Office, but no mention of receipt on their end.
