I'm on the same boat. really stuck, came in as ICT last Nov 2014, then EE comes into effect and LMIA-exempt folks are now in some ways required to get LMIA to ensure ITA. As written by some, they get points in the 450+ zone even without LMIA (good for them), but for folks like me who have been working for a while and has been contributing to the company ... only get around 300+ --- in effect it almost tells me the chances to get an ITA is very very very unlikely.
saw an article... http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/5534/Being-selected-takes-planning-and-strategizing.html
and this was my exact thought (an excerpt from the article says...)
Take for example a situation where there is an employee who has arrived in Canada as an intra-company transferee and has company knowledge and expertise that is valuable to the company and needed in Canada. This person’s overall points may be low without an LMIA, which can be unsettling to the employee. However, the government has already determined that intra-company transferees bring a significant benefit to the Canadian economy, which is why they have been exempted from the requirement of needing an LMIA to get a work permit!
To then effectively require an LMIA calls into question the significant benefit that has already been deemed to exist. For many companies, especially smaller Canadian entities, engaging in this type of recruitment can be extremely complicated and requires an enormous financial commitment, as well as resources and time — which seem unnecessary.
2 other letters i chanced upon which also questioned these moves by EE are:
http://www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/14-77-eng.pdf
http://www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/14-77-02-eng.pdf
i hope these really get considered and amend the EE rules appropriately.