Here is my food for thought to seniors:
Some people, who have been monitoring the FSW program for several years, optimistically say that the 2014-FSW applicants are likely to have their applications finalized comparatively faster than those who applied in 2013.
Three main reasons why they think so are:
ONE: observation that intermediate stages at CIO in Sydney, NS (i.e. fees encashment, PER, etc) are coming faster than did in 2013
TWO: perception that CIC would like to make a fresh start by clearing all backlogs of applications at all visa offices around the world before launching the Express Entry program in 2015
THREE: observation that almost all visa offices (notably Ottawa and New Delhi) are extra active in order to finalize any pending cases
While the above may hold true for most visa offices, the fact remains that
the Singapore visa office in particular does not seem as active. Many are unaware that there is already a queue of 2013-applicants who have not received any medical requests till this day from the Singapore VO. Nothing has happened to them beyond the AOR phase.
While I, being a 2014 applicant, am happy to witness things so far are moving fast for 2014 folks, I simultaneously wonder how the Singapore VO may manage to handle 2014-cases (including mine) in the entirety AFTER finalizing 2013-cases and BEFORE January-2015.
Could it be that at the Singapore VO there is a different group of Case Officers assigned to handle 2014 cases, who are to work in parallel with another team handling 2013 cases? If not, then I only see my case being added to an already large queue of poor folks who applied in 2013 to be processed by the Singapore VO.