In 2006 I started the process of immigrating to Canada under the common-law partner in Canada class. A number of people have asked me what the appliation entailed, so below is the timeline of my application, which took 1.5 years to complete start to finish.

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Permanent Residence Application Timeline

25.08.2006: Ordered RCMP fingerprint check
01.09.2006: Ordered UK police check
18.09.2006: Medical exam
25.09.2006: Medical exam completed
26.09.2006: DMP mailed medical results to Ottawa
27.09.2006: PR + OWP applications received by CPC-V
12.10.2006: Received UK police certificate (to Canada, 6 weeks after ordered)
25.10.2006: Medical date stamped in Ottawa
31.10.2006: Medical date stamped in Ottawa
14.11.2006: Medical results received in FOSS (7 weeks after medical completed)
04.12.2006: Received RCMP certificate (14 weeks after ordered)
05.12.2006: PR application in process (10 weeks after received)
11.12.2006: Additional info delivered to CPC-V: new passport, UK and RCMP police certificates
03.01.2007: Additional info attached to file (3 weeks after received)
04.01.2007: e-CAS works for the first time
29.05.2007: Approval In Principle (8 months after received)
06.06.2007: Received OWP, AIP & Sponsor approval letters with request for updated work/address/organisations history
14.06.2007: Updated info received by CPC-V
25.06.2007: Replacement OWP received
20.07.2007: Updated info attached to file (5 weeks after received)
20.07.2007: Criminality and security background checks initiated by CIC
26.09.2007: CIC confirms background check is all that remains. Faxed director of CSIS asking for an update
29.09.2007: First BF date passed, no change
29.10.2007: Second BF date passed, no change
26.11.2007: Received reply from CSIS (2 months after fax sent): screening is still in progress
01.02.2008: Third BF date
05.02.2008: CSIS is finished according to CIC call centre (5.5 months after initiated)
06.02.2008: CPC-V requests a copy of current passport (that they already have on file)
07.02.2008: Sent copy of passport to CPC-V by fax
11.02.2008: Decision Made (1 year, 4.5 months after received)
26.02.2008: Landing interview letter sent by Vancouver CIC (2 weeks after Decision Made)
31.03.2008: Landed (1.5 years after application received)
29.04.2008: Received PR Card (4 weeks after landing)

Citizenship Application Timeline

21.07.2010: Met residence requirement (eligible for citizenship).
28.07.2010: Mailed citizenship application.
30.07.2010: Citizenship application received by CPC-S
22.11.2010: Acknowledgement of Receipt letter dated (although not actually mailed for another 3 weeks)
24.11.2010: e-CAS starts working (3 months after application received)
10.12.2010: Acknowledgement of Receipt letter mailed.
19.04.2011: Application processing started (8.5 months after application received)
10.06.2011: Application transferred to Niagara Falls (7 weeks after processing started)
17.08.2011: Request for Fingerprints letter mailed (10 weeks after transfer to Niagara Falls)
22.08.2011: Fingerprints submitted (digital scanning)

Current status: Permanent Resident. Waiting for citizenship test to be scheduled.