12 weeks sounds about right from my experience helping out a few family members, even one with Global Entry. One took 20 weeks. No rhyme or reason as to why, or a way to speed it up. It just comes when it comes essentially. I suppose after 6 months they might be more keen to do look up what the hold up is.

I called in today because I didn't receive any updates by mail.
They tell me that my application was conditionally approved ~45 days ago.
I asked if they sent a letter, because I didn't receive it (is my mail being stolen?), and they said the letter comes from the US and the majority of people aren't getting their notifications.

Yeesh, "35 business days" has turned into 5 months because of their failure to inform applicants that paper applications take 2 months to key in and they knowingly fail to notify about conditional approvals. A one line notice on their website would save them phone calls and complaints.

Other than the 1 minute of pre-recorded bilingual messages (before asking me to select language...), the call-takers are polite, honest and pleasant on the phone.

Why would you do a paper application in the first place? You have to create an online account no matter what to set up an appointment and activate your card, so I can't fathom a situation where paper would be better than online Maybe the exchange rate, but the cost difference isn't worth the hassle. They honestly should just get rid of the paper applications and go all online.

The "hassle" of filling an online PDF, clicking print and stuffing an envelope is worth saving ~$16.

They honestly should be up-front about the real processing times for paper applications (32 business days is a lie), and not be dishonest about being "advised in writing of the results", which their Service Standard requires.

When official sources of information are faulty, I get irritated.

Any updates on this, if you were approved on a certain day? I applied 08/21 and still waiting for conditional approval. Thanks!

FYI Still waiting, 57 business days and counting

Applied for husband and myself Aug 6th. Husband got conditionally approved Sept 20th (34 business days). I'm still waiting on my application 66 business days so far.
I applied for my kids on Sept 17th no response yet they're at 36 business days.

Update - Kids just got approved 11/7/18 and 11/8/19 so 38 and 39 business days for them. I still havent been approved....

waiting.....

Applied August 20, still waiting. Wife applied a week later than me, and got conditional approval 3 weeks ago. The only differences in our applications, other than the obvious birth details, are that I'm currently working and she's not, and I visited the UK since 2013.

Applied September 24th (33 business days) and currently waiting on conditional approval. Hoping to get it before traveling next month but not really holding my breath after seeing everyone's posts. I noticed when booking my flight there was a field for your known traveler number. Assuming I receive approval and have my appointment and everything before my flight, does anyone know if there will be any problems attempting to use the nexus lanes in customs if I didn't enter my known traveler number when purchasing my ticket?

Edit: Conditionally approved on November 13th.

Applied on September 22nd and was conditionally approved November 8th.

My Global Entry membership expires in 2019. I applied for NEXUS instead on September 7th (I can't remember if it was after business hours or not).

Conditionally approved October 25th (34 business days), but was only notified via the website (not via e-mail like some have received). Visited the Blaine, Washington Enrollment Center a few weeks later and was approved.

As of today, my son is still Pending Review. If my count is right, we're at 70 business days today, give or take.

Even though we are American and don't live near the border, we went ahead with our planned tourist trip to Niagara Falls back at the beginning of October and my wife did her interview. While we were there (Ft. Erie processing centre), we asked the Canadian customs agent if she could at least check to see what the holdup might be with my son's application, and hopefully, clear that up and do his interview while we were there. The agent was very nice and said she would have been willing to review his application on the spot and do the interview, but after checking their records, said she couldn't help us because his background check already had been assigned out to another agent and, thus,could not be reassigned to her to process right then and there. She said my son's case is part of a five-month backlog of applications, and that the order in which they're processed is completely random and not necessarily by date received. I thought that was a bit odd, but if that's what it is, that's what it is.

So, we continue to wait.

Applied September 24th and was conditionally approved today, November 13th (~36 business days). Didn't receive an email, just been checking the website daily. There seemed to be plenty of appointments available soon at YYZ however I made mine for later December since that's when I'll be there next.