To answer one of your questions, one study I found, which was produced for Human Resource Development Canada, shows that recent immigrants, that is, people who have been in Canada for under 10 years, have an EI accessibility rate that is 10 points lower compared to people who have been here longer.
Furthermore, the rule that should be prioritized is the one dealing with hours. Given that salary is determined on a weekly basis, the eligibility criteria should be determined in the same way. At present, there is a correlation between how much one contributes, the amount of work performed and the benefits received. I think this would help everyone across the board, all groups that are disadvantaged at this time.