After waiting more than 200 days with no word, no emails, and no confirmation, everything has changed this week. The first peep I heard from IRCC was last Friday (11-Dec) - a Biometric Instruction Letter in my email inbox. This came without me ever getting AOR1! Within a day I had connected my case to ECAS/GCKeys and set up a biometrics appointment. Today, I completed the biometrics in Canada (where I am presently, on a visitor's visa with my spouse). This evening my sponsor got notice of spousal approval!
If I am lucky, I will be able to complete my medical check before all of Ontario goes on lockdown due to COVID-19 and the approaching public holidays.
For what it's worth, all this action came two weeks after I contacted IRCC by telephone. Following advice from singleman, I called the number right at the end of the day, with only ten minutes left before the toll-free line shut for the day. The person on the phone helped me to change my address, and also provided me with a temporary application number (one that started with an XF00...). I can't be certain that this activity on my account caused things to begin moving for me, but maybe it did? I might suggest other May applicants who haven't received anything from IRCC and haven't got AOR1 to try calling the IRCC phone number and ask for a temporary application number because it is possible this activity may trigger the processing of your application.
