Nick,
Back in the office.
RE: Applied/Certified. Yes. That's the whole PMP thing in the signature line

RE: How long did it take to go through the process? If you mean "process" of application, about 25 hours. I had to gather a lot of information going back 6 years and put it in a cogent package before the application. Then I needed to be able to describe each project demonstrating the knowledge areas (i.e. Initiating, planning, etc.) and then condense that to 500 characters. (Not 500 words). That took some effort.
RE: Audit: PMI states that it randomly selects 10% of applications for audits. Mine was not selected. 10% is a common figure in professional certification applications. I suggest that you make your application "audit-proof" - make sure you have everything documented as fully as possible and located in an easy to find place.
Best,
Harry