Avis,
Mate it took 9 months from when i first filled in my application until i got any word from Cathay, and that was the invitation to the initial. By that stage i'd almost forgotten i'd applied, i just checked back occasionally and when i tried to log on it said my application was still being processed, so i thought righto they are obviously busy and i havn't been rejected yet so i just waited it out, and eventually like i said 9 months later i got an email out of the blue. In that time i'd gone and got a job in GA.
The waits in between the next stages are alot shorter, max 1 month
Cheers