I just received my new resident card today, valid for three years. My in-person appointment was on December 2nd last year. My last card valid until end of Feb this year.
The process was insane because I fired my lawyer a long time ago and handled everything myself—from securing an appointment slot to the very finish. It was a stressful experience but from which I also learned a lot.
My only trick was relentlessly emailing AIMA non-stop. Even twice a day for around five months. I started to approach AIMA 6 months before my last card expired.
Meanwhile, my citizenship application is still ongoing, and I’m seriously considering filing a lawsuit due to significant delays. It seems there are lawyers willing to take the case.