Although the economic effects of the systemic obstacle of the non-recognition of the credentials of immigrants are documented, the long term impacts of this phenomenon are insufficiently examined. The aim of this article is to understand the long term effects of this obstacle on the French-speaking African immigrants' experience. To deal with the non-recognition of their credentials, the interviewed African immigrants comment that they have to invent 'strategies of survival'. For the most part, these strategies lock them into a vicious circle which prevents from them fitting into the culture of Canadian society. This is a paradox in a multicultural society, receiving immigrants but raising barriers at the same time which can prevent the immigrant from fitting into the promoted values.