Thanks EXPRESS000 for the topic.
I am not sure if it is just where I come from that "stalls" (this word could be very relative indeed) things, or whether it is simply the application taking the normal (there could be different versions of "normal" too) time frame required based on my situation.
They say up front one should expect that 12 months of processing time could and do happen. Surely, the fact that some people get DM next day makes the 12 months all the lengthier. I am 45 days and counting in IP after the officer explicitly told me I passed the test and "I am approving your application". But now I am aware these words only created a false sense of conclusion and mistakenly heightened the anticipation. The actual truth is: while the CIC part might have seemingly concluded, other agencies part has started. And for a man who comes from the middle east, and lived in four continents, I expect these agencies might (and will) take time to complete their due diligence.
One tip I would like to share is the piece of paper we sign after the interview officer has filled in it your answers to the his/her questions and put in his/her comments. There were check boxes of mostly Yes/No. I remember one check box in my case was checked as a NO. I couldn't read what corresponded to that box. Apparently (and hopefully) it is not something that disqualified the application, or else a DM (not the one we are looking for of course) would have been there already! If I would do it again I would try to gaze through the paper I signed more thouroughly (I failed to do so when the officer handed it to me after my interview)
Like one forum member kindly alluded, the FP step is just one of 3 security checks. It could precede the other two or follow them, one can never tell. And my understanding is that these other agencies advise CIC. So CIC can only wait on this advice.
On the reassuring side, I checked the forum spreadsheet, only one application in September from the same province I live in has gone to DM (No Oath letter yet). The waiting applications like this one have started being processed two months before mine. So it is reasonable to me (coming from the October group) expect to 'normally' wait until May for example before getting a DM
Long story short, it is a matter of patience. There is nothing anybody can do other than rationally checking his/her status on e cas and respond duly to any requests (if and when they come by). Overdoing the checking or overdoing anything else related to the application just amplifies anxiety unnecessarily !
Best of luck to everyone
