Many of the employment opportunities, for example, have been a source of considerable frustration for  Somali newcomers. This is in part a result of the the situation in which Somali newcomers find themselves, a difficult situation in which without permanent resident documents they are unlikely to be hired for very many employment opportunities. Without Canadian experience, they continue to be overlooked in favour of those who do have Canadian experience. This situation is not unique to Somali immigrants - it is a familiar issue for immigrants from virtually all non-English-speaking countries. What is unique is the length of time Somali newcomers must spend without permanent resident status, with a range of discriminatory results.  Another frustration is that entrance to many professions in Canada is limited by the self-governing professions who stipulate conditions for licensing. With significant educational and public service cutbacks over the past decade, access for newcomers is essentially denied unless they recommence their studies in Canada. That is a strategy that has been adopted by a number of Somalis, particularly those in the younger age brackets  

The more recent immigration, particularly since 1990, has also given rise to more entrepreneurial activity on the part of Somalias who bring skills and experience in service and retail trades. Most of these enterprises are relatively small-scale operations, catering predominantly to a newcomer clientele in areas like tailoring, hairdressing, and food preparation, and to a more limited extent, the provision of accounting and administrative services . They are almost never financed by accessing banks for capital, but through the joint efforts of the extended family. What this means is that any loss can have potentially disastrous effects for the family.   
  

Here are some interviews with Somali immigrants.  

Q.  Could you tell me  some of your experiences with Canada?   
Ahmed: 
A.  I have no residence status and I am unable to obtain all the privileges other Canadians  enjoy.  I am unable to obtain a good job or go to a  post-secondary education.  

Q.  What problems have you faced without having permanent residence status?  
A.  The problem that I faced with respect to the lack of documents in Canada is that I cannot work because my social insurance number starts with number nine and that shows that I don't have residence status.  When I graduated from high school, I was not able to obtain a loan for post-secondary education without the permanent status.  With a situation like this,  you fall  behind from others because it is going to take you five or seven years before you can be a permanent resident in this country.  By the time you get the opportunity to graduate you may work for your classmate who is as talented as you are.