London Tops Billionaire Residents

Cynthia Barker writes…Hey, maybe London’s streets really are paved with gold – we are home to more billionaires than any other city in the world.

The UK has become the billionaires’ choice of residence, with more than 100 of the word’s super rich living here. The 104 billionaires who live in the UK have a combined wealth of £301billion, according to claims the Sunday Times Rich List.

Not surprisingly, property prices in London are literally going through the roof, with 72 billionaires living right in the centre of the capital, ahead of Moscow, with 48 billionaire citizens, and New York City in third, with 43.

To get into the Top 50 wealthiest UK residents you need a fortune of £1.5billion - almost $2billion dollars.

Migrants have again come out top of the pile, with Indian-born siblings Sri and Gopi Hinduja (who famously obtained British passports with the help of the 'friend of the rich' former Labour Minister Peter Mandelson) heading the list of Britain’s wealthiest billionaires with a fortune of £11.9billion.

The businessmen own the global conglomerate Hinduja Group which helped their wealth soar by £1.3billion in the last year.

The richest Briton, the Duke of Westminster, only just reached the top ten with his fortune – he owns most of Belgravia which houses my favourite store, Harrods - rose to £8.5billion! How can you even put a value his land, which the family will never sell since they have been passing in down through the generations for hundreds of years?

The UK is favoured by the rich for it's steady, growing economy, rule of Law, world class schools and universities, shopping and a safe environment.

Britain is also the second most popular destination for overseas students after the U.S.

The Rich List is based on published details of the wealthy, but nobody really knows how many millionaires and billionaires live in the UK. You only have to walk around Kensington and Chelsea, or Mayfair to count the thousands of multi-million pound properties to realise that London is loaded with money - and UK jobs for migrant and local workers.

So boys and girls, if you want to meet a billionaire, London is the place…but don’t put that on your tourist visa application or you will definitely be refused by the Home Office! Ha ha!

If you need advice on any immigration matter, including overstaying your visa, EU or UK immigration law, or want to appeal against a refusal, call Cynthia Barker on 07850 307687 or 0208 731 5972 or email her your details to immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is a qualified OISC Registered Immigration Adviser, with 15 years experience in immigration matters, with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.

Unlike Other UK Migrants Football Managers Don't Have to Speak English

Cynthia Barker writes....good morning, just got back to the office from a breakfast networking meeting at the Laura Ashley Hotel in Elstree (not far from where Simon Cowell was brought up). Well, it's a very good morning for Chelsea fans who last night saw their football club reach the semi finals of the Champions league with a last minute goal against French side PSG.

Looking at Chelsea Football Club, made up largely of foreign players and their "special" manager, Portuguese born Jose Mourinho, it made wonder why so many clubs favour overseas players and managers over British born candidates.

There is no doubt that the British Premier League has benefited from the influx of talented - not to mention, fit - players and coaches, although some argue that the national England team (previous managed by two foreign managers) has suffered as a result of lack of English talent coming through the ranks.

But why are so many English clubs managed by overseas managers, when we have excellent British people to do the job? Is it because many clubs are now owned by billionaire foreign owners who simply pay the highest price to buy in overseas staff?

Ok, I'm no football expert, but you only have to watch post match interviews - zzzzzz- on BBC's 'Match of the Day' to see that hardly any clubs employ British managers anymore.

Arsenal, Fulham, Manchester City and Chelsea have not had an English manager for years. And Tottenham are rumored to be looking to replace Borehamwood born Tim Sherwood (who took over from their last foreign manager sacked a couple of months ago) with a Brazilian coach.

Some managers, such as Southampton's Argentinian born Mauricio Pochettino, can barely speak English and are interviewed with the aid of an interpreter!

The point I am making is you need an English language test to enter the UK as a foreign spouse, or on a student visa (even if you are coming here to learn English) or on work permit, or when you are applying for residency (indefinite leave to remain), but football clubs appear to be exempt from the Immigration Rules!

I should also point out that EU and EEA citizens have free movement within the European Union (apart from Croatia) and that English language ability does not apply.

Meanwhile, the NHS and care industry are facing acute staff shortages, with nursing agencies, such as Dolphin Care, unable to cope with demand for nurses and HCA's (Health Care Assistants).

The good news is NHS Trusts are once again starting to recruit qualified nurses from both the EU and countries such as the Philippines - so watch this space.

The fact is, the UK and especially London, could not run without overseas workers. Not just footballers on £200,000 a week, but nurses, doctors, IT workers and cleaners. My God, even Prime Minister David Cameron employs a foreign Nanny! So much for British jobs for British workers!  Ha ha! Get real politicians!

For advice on EU or UK immigration law, phone Cynthia Barker on 020 8731 5972 or email her your details and number – Immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is an OISC registered Immigration Adviser with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.