It's never a good idea to book tickets without having the visas stamped in the passport.oho_livinonaprayer said:I applied for my Visa on April 9. At that time processing time said 18 working days, and today is the 18th day. I planned on leaving to Canada on May 19. From this thread, it looks like until that isn't going to happen unless I am blessed with a miracle. I could push my departure dates by a maximum of two weeks. I have got a lot riding on this.
The processing time posted on the CIC website is only an estimate. It is not guaranteed processing time. Actual processing can take much longer ranging from a few days/weeks/months beyond this.
And, it's a privilege to be issued a visa, not a right. So, you'll have to be patient until you get a decision.I really wish they had a greater staff working considering the number of people affected.
You could send a Case Specific Enquiry by the end of this week to the relevant visa office to request for an expedited decision.
Applications are processed in a FIFO sequence (First In, First Out) until that application processing requires additional documents/background checks/medicals/interviews, etc. After that point, it would no longer seem to be following a chronological processing orderAnother I have noticed is that the applications aren't processed in chronological order, even if they don't require additional documents. I wonder why. It seems easier that way.