Our delay was due to my husband's 'obligatory' military service in Peru as a supply office clerk. Hardly a security threat, but fine, even if that confirmation was needed, it should not take a full year to find out he was a clerical person in a supply office. This for a spouse who could be easily found here with me if an irregularity ever came up. I'm a 3rd generation Canadian sponsoring my husband, have owned the same home and lived in the same city for over 22 years. Pretty suspicious all right. But common sense and intuitive thinking is usually not associated with the Gov't. If a simple informational research project was put on someone's desk to research, OUTSIDE of the Gov't bureaucratic country club, and it took a year to complete, your butt would be skidded out the door. Sure, other countries are not known for cooperating with providing information, but with no one really pressuring for the answers and then how many months to send it all BACK to Canada to sit around on some Gov't employee's desk before it gets sent back to the Embassy AGAIN, the Gov't wheels turn verrrrryyyyyyy slowly. EXCEPT if you are a temporary foreign worker!! Over 40,000 temporary foreign workers were approved during 2007 taking up immigration resources to process people who are fast tracked into Canada, and my family class permanent resident case now at 20 months sits, and sits, and sits. Just like many people on this list are also finding out.