Retrieval from training and operations systems, the availability of mentors who must confirm what happened, and the point at which the receiving role is defined well enough to describe. These precede any government step, and no processing time should be promised on top of them.
Approach the mentors early
Mentors change roles, leave, or forget details, and their statements are often the hardest part of a file to replace. Approach them at the start and give them specific questions rather than asking for a general reference. Keep the sequence clear afterwards: a petition decision, a visa where one is needed, admission, and the lawful start of work are separate events with separate timelines.
Approach the mentors at the very start and give them specific questions rather than asking for a general reference, because their statements are the hardest part of a file to replace and the people themselves move on, retire, or simply forget. Retrieval from training and operations systems runs at its own pace, and the receiving role has to be defined well enough to describe before anything can be finalised. These dependencies precede any government step and no processing time should be promised on top of them.
Keep the sequence clear afterwards: a petition decision, a visa where one is needed, admission, and the lawful start of work are separate events with separate timelines.