I filed for a relative.
The problem lies with applications which were submitted in 2019 and 2020. The application clearly states, processing time is 12 months and since its a new program, they started with a clean slate on June 18, 2019, and I hope you can understand no-one would have submitted by Sept-Oct 2019 considering the requirements and documentation necessary for this program. I have seen many applicants receiving Biometric in Feb, March 2020 and after that Covid hit and everything went on hold. They restarted somehow later but at that time most of the applicants who filed in 2019 had completed 1 year waiting. In Canada, over 1 million people lost their jobs due to covid. Only in Ontario, the number was 355,000.
Now, this program HCCP is purely based on employer, and if your employer has lost his job, how can IRCC issue you a Work permit? that's the reason, many applicants started receiving additional documents request, mostly NOA (Notice of Assessment) which you know tells the Annual income of the Employer. Since it has to be more than 85 K CAD (per annum), this is the only way to identify if Employer still exists. Secondly, many applicants received new job offer letter requests, just to ensure if the employer can still cover the salary amid Covid.
I hope I am making sense till now...
Now, those who filed in 2021 , they (should) have submitted 3 NOAs which ensures, Employer is stable. So, if an officer reviews my application now, I am hopeful he will not ask for an additional document and should proceed to the next step.
Its not unfair with old applicants, its just the way things work.
For Everyone one, this program stared in June 2019, so the applications count in June for submission should be towards Dec 2019 and those are stuck due to Covid in March.