I must thank you for your detailed and comprehensive reply. It does help me to soothe out a bit and seems like my patience level for waiting has gone up! Just wanted to share my experience about how Islamabad embassy is processing my case. I received AOR in late January 2007 and I had an interview around late September 2007. I have provided every document to their satisfaction and didn't get it back for resubmission or something. I received a phone call after one month of my interview to submit some more information which I did the very next day. After one month again I received a phone call for the same request! I humbly explained that I have sent you a letter with the information and have also got confirmation receipt from the courier company that it has been delivered to the right place with name of the recipient and time. However, I sent the same letter again and faxed the delivery confirmation receipt for the record. I have two concerns with this procedure with all due respect. Firstly, isn't it contrary to CIC's policy not to disclose any information over telephone to the applicants yet to ask personal information regarding the case through same medium? Secondly, wouldn't it raise doubts in the minds of the applicants towards the credibility of the staff to waste one month while the information has been delivered and still I have no prove if they got it again or not? I got double bad luck since my application is being processed through Islamabad and my medical file was sent to New Dehli and you have already informed that New Dehli is among the slowest due to heavy load of applications. Islamabad itself seems to be among the slowest as well. Upon my recent query about status of my case I was given a reply that my case is under review with the senior officer and they will contact me for further instructions once senior officer has reviewed the case so I should wait patiently. Cant applicants be told the specific reason for delay? is it because they might try to manipulate something to speed up the process? for instance, if embassy has sent a letter to any local authority for some background check and waiting for a reply, an applicant might approach the department and bribe someone to either send a favorable reply or quick reply. Is that why it is kept secret? I do appreciate the fact that due to fraud and forgeries thousands of immigrants have abused the Canadian immigration system. But mostly it seems that genuine people are scrutinized to the fullest and yet maybe denied eventually after a long waiting. On the other hand, those who have ill intentions are still going to Canada much more quickly than the deserving ones. I have heard of sister sponsoring her brother as husband! which is gross but then those who have immoral approach for their vested interests are making it harder for genuine, sincere, honest applicants. And CIC instead of deporting such fraudulent people later on, gets more vigorous with honest applicants. This is my opinion and could be wrong. If CIC denies my application after more than a year I have nothing else to do but to go throw yet another agonizing process of appeal. Cant they sent a letter to the applicant indicating that application apparently has been accepted but we have to make certain check before issuing you a visa and it will take this much time? this way the applicant is satisfied that his case has been accepted subject to certain formalities. For example, police verification. The applicant is sure he has no police issue either in the past or present so it will be resolved eventually. But the one who does have a police issue will try to do something about it and might make a mistake and get caught in his own trap. similarly medical report from new dehli is taking long due to heavy load of application so please rest assured that your application has been principally accepted subject to clearance of your medical. In case applicant knows he has some major decease which might hinder his visa will know that before hand, vice versa someone who knows he has no medical issues will wait patiently and happily that he will have the visa eventually. But this uncertainty and then sudden death decision after such a long waiting is very devastating. Some applicants reach to the point of just having the decision no matter what it is rather than going through this waiting game. Sorry for writing so long but I couldn't resist pouring my thoughts out. Thanks for bearing me everyone.