I received COPR this week. A big thanks to this forum for helping each other, especially
@legalfalcon. Folks who are still stuck, my sincere best wishes to you. I hope you too receive COPR very soon.
My timeline: Mar 4, 2020 CEC inland. My file was approved in Aug 2020 but nobody touched it until late Apr 2021 when my medicals were extended.
In case it helps others in similar situation, I took one action that I think helped. I am not sure though, it could be just a coincidence that an officer decided to act on my application on their own around the same time:
In Mar 2021, I ordered the GCMS notes and noticed that my file was sitting approved since Aug 2020. I wrote a letter to visa officer, politely asking to finalize my application. I highlighted that my file was approved and listed the expired COPR number (that was generated in Aug 2020 but was never issued), signed the letter and uploaded through webform. Soon there after my medicals were extended and my file was transferred to local VO. After a couple of weeks, I received call to confirm I am in Canada and then received the COPR.
Before sending this letter, I asked visa officers to act on my application multiple times directly using the webform. But I just got the standard generic replies. Reaching out to local MPs and immigration minister did nothing.