slight update in my case...
last Tuesday (April 15) I received an email from my visa officer as below:
This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada and your documents received at this office on 6 December 2013.
This email serves as a second request for the following which should be scanned and emailed to this office within 15 days:
-updated and accurately completed Schedule A form for you. The form recently submitted is not acceptable for the following reasons:
-question 8 has not been completed from age 18 and shows a gap in the dates between December 2004 and February 2005
A completely new and accurately completed form is required with both questions 8 and 12 completed from age 18 and with no gaps in the dates. The details in questions 8 and 12 must correspond.
The gap mentioned in the email was totally unintentional as I was unemployed in January 2005 after completing my Masters in December 2004 and I joined a new company in February 2005. So in my mind there is no gap in my timeline but when I filled the Schedule A form I did not mention I was unemployed in January 2005 for one month only.
Nevertheless I completed the Scheduled A form again as instructed and made sure it showed activities from age 18 with no gaps in the dates, and sent the scanned form back to the visa officer within two days of the email.
Shortly after I sent the email I received the following reply:
Thank you for your email.
Background checks are now in process for your application. We will contact you again as soon as we are able to, however, we are unable to advise when this will be.
You need take no further action at this time.
So that's it. While it feels to good know someone is working on my case, I was also wondering if this gap was not there at first place I might have received medical instructions instead of this email. Perhaps due to my negligence my processing got delayed a little?
