It's cheaper to bulk mail them. My instructor usually mails them off within a week of the course. Now, my instructor uses snail mail to send off & recieve the applications. It must go from KY to California (about a week to ten days- alittle longer in this case because of the holidays), then get processed (took a while because, to my understanding, PADI was closed Christmas through new years, so I'm sure there was some back log, so probably 2-3 weeks or more), then sent back to KY to the LDS (another week to ten days), where my instructor records the #, just in case the card is lost, so it can be replaced easier, then sent to me (2 days). I sent off my Master Scuba Diver Application on Dec 22. The Cert. showed up on PADI's web site right at the end of Jan. The card should hopefully arrive at my house in a few more days. It's been right at 7 weeks now.