I already tried unfortunately and they said they cannot allow an extension to my leave of absence. The company has already been without a trained manager for almost 4 months and I think they were generous enough to allow it to go that long, especially through the xmas period. The leave technically ends on the 9th Feb, but they said they'd check on the first, likely to see if I have an answer and have time to prepare for a replacement. Plus, if the physical permit takes a week to arrive by mail, I also need to have my OWP approved (or at least eligibility review started) by the 1st, to make sure I can get my SIN reactivated by the 9th. :\