Updated the Britain Attracts Foreign Investors and Entrepreneurs in April 2014 with up to date infographic like images. Read a very interesting news article today on Reuters news about Britain lures talent: sci-tech entrepreneurs move in. In the UK we’ve had years of very negative attitudes regarding immigration, with a lot of the working class believing inward immigration is damaging the British economy. Every day the right-wing newspapers are filled with anti-immigration stories from foreign prisoners the UK can’t get rid of to immigrants ONLY moving to Britain to claim welfare benefits. Lots of Brits believe “immigrants are taking their jobs” for example! There’s a LOT of negativity towards foreigners in the UK and I’m sure it will have an […]
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UK Business and Entrepreneur Visas
This article is utter BULLSHIT – the visa officers in foreign embassies are rejecting business and entrepreneur visas despite seeing a high level of financial resources for investment in UK.
I am a multi-millionaire and have been through hell to get a visa for carrying out business in the UK and creating several jobs for their economy – but clearly the country has become TOOOOOO racist to even care for foreign money.
So be it – I hope more and more investors are discouraged from going there and take their money to a country where we are more welcomed and respected.
That will teach them some respect for investors – and they treat us no differently than the way they treat asylum seekers – like shit.
UK Business and Entrepreneur Visas
UK Immigration Policy Impact on Forign Investment
Hey Foreign Millionaire, although I disagree with you BS stance on what I wrote, I’m also becoming increasingly concerned at the anti-foreigner (anti-immigrant) attitude I’m seeing in the UK!
It’s not racism though, it’s British people trying to protect their way of life and jobs. For the majority of British people race doesn’t come into it.
The average person in the street doesn’t understand that there’s a BIG difference between a migrant worker looking for work in the UK (theoretically taking a job that could be filled by an unemployed British person) and a foreign investor looking to make money in the UK by bringing cash to the country (and potentially creating jobs while making themselves money: good for the investor and our economy).
I like the later group of people a LOT and the more foreign investors we can get coming to our country the better. With the former group it’s a mixed blessing, businesses have a flexible workforce willing to move to where the work is, which means Britain is a desirable place to setup some types of businesses. However, it will inevitably take jobs from people born in the country, though without the migrant workforce there wouldn’t be so many businesses hiring in Britain since they’d be in other countries where there is a flexible workforce.
My understanding is financially the benefits of migrant workers out weighs the costs.
I own https://general-election-2010.co.uk/ (very popular site) and it was inundated with right-wing supporters of the political party the BNP (the party has elements of racism and fascism). If you went on the number of right-wing anti-immigration comments on the above site you’d think over half the country was right-wing!!! Despite the BNP gaining a lot more mainstream media time recently (they got 2 MEPs last year) I’m very happy to report in the general election yesterday they gained ZERO MPs and lost many of their local councilors (their support has died). The majority of British people are not racist, they just don’t understand the importance of migrant workers.
It’s a real shame we have political groups like the BNP attacking immigrant workers in the media etc…, it gives our country a bad name. The problem has been with a lack of control on immigration in particular over the last 10 years or so. IMO it’s not so much the numbers per se (it’s not that many compared to other EU countries), but they tend to be concentrated in specific areas like London and this gives the long term residents of those areas the perception of immigration is completely out of control and allows right-wing groups to wrongly state immigrants are taking over!
Many British people aren’t happy with their perception of immigration: much of that perception is wrong like migrant workers don’t work and claim benefits and take social housing when the reality is the opposite, the vast majority of migrant workers are hard workers looking to get on in life and they pay their way, but the odd dramatic case in the news turns into what is perceived as the norm!
This has resulted in a hardening of our immigration laws, some I agree with like trying to only bring in skilled workers we need unless a business can’t find local workers, this makes economic sense as it gets more British people in work = less benefits paid out. But it will inevitably mean business will find it harder to find workers fast and that could drive some investment away to other countries without a hangup about immigration!
With the recession and slow Growth in Britain many migrant workers will have gone home when work dried up. I’m hoping it will become a non-issue again like it used to be, give the current settlers time to integrate and they’ll no longer be seen as ‘bloody foreigners taking our jobs’!
I am surprised to hear we are turning investors away! I see from your IP address you are from India, what business are you in?
David Law
UK Immigration Policy Impact on Forign Investment
UK Anti-Foreign Immigration Policy Refusing Investor Visas to Millionaires!
Yes I am from India – and I have been through hell the past 2 years to get a visa to do business in UK – they have rejected me 4 times over silly little excuses – if I trusted you I could have shown you the proof.
I already have a solicitor working for me in UK and we are thinking of filing Judicial Review as they won’t accept appeals on Immigrant visa refusals anymore. I am part owner in my family business which is over 100 years old – we are a solid established company and yet they have their ridiculous “suspicions”.
Honestly I am sick to the top with British immigration and the racist nonsense going on in UK – yes toooooo many Brits are screaming for immigrants to get out of UK and its come to the point that I no longer really have a desire to invest there now. I am not even sure if I want to pursue the Judicial Review anymore as it means further FUNDING of your racist system, its best to boycott such a country altogether and let others now exactly how investor friendly they are these days.
On a separate note – maybe the govt. is not racist in UK – but there have been hundreds and thousands of incidents where visa officers posted in foreign embassies and at the UK border controls are very racist and deliberately reject people over nonsensical issues which can be easily sorted out with simple “phone call” but they reject people to frustrate them and they do it mostly to applicants from “Asian” countries.
The same visas are easily issued to white skinned applicants from countries like USA, South Africa and Australia – research it and you will find so many of them were even fired for their outright racism. Sorry but the thought of living in UK now seems to be an endless fight against racism and I have no patience for that anymore – I don’t have to deal with the slightest of racist attitudes from visa officers and embassies of other European countries…but with UK – they have really put me through hell.
Also another multi-millionaire family friend of mine was refused 3 times for a business visa – he took his business to the Netherlands now and is happy there – most other countries in Europe are much more investor friendly and help you a lot. You have no clue how disgusting it is to deal with the UK embassy in India – do your research before you challenge me again.
For those people seeking skilled “job” migration to UK – most of them are in desperate situations to get out of their countries for making more money – so they put up with the racist attitudes and suck it up for “money’s” sake… but we entrepreneurs and investors have the world open for business – If the UK cannot recognize the difference between asylum seekers and investors then who needs to go to such a country really??
Why is the corporate tax environment made so unfriendly in UK now?? Many corporations are already moving out for favourable tax laws.. and the constant battles investors have to fight with UK authorities is in no way a welcoming environment. UK has become a very very hostile and racist country now – I dont agree that 7% of non-white immigrants in the UK can be such a huge threat to your way of life – when 93% of your population is still ethnically white skinned. Just own up and admit the truth.
One last thing – the reason why BNP lost out on these elections is because the other parties gave more confidence to the public in regards to tightening immigration and getting rid of foreigners. Honestly – please pick up any British newspaper and see the racist horror stories printed every single day – how can you deny you are not a racist country then?? Its no secret really.. from the racism at the Met police to the Visa officers on facebook who were passing racist comments and laughing about how they enjoy rejecting Asians – how can u really deny any of this???
Oh and do you know they charge £800 for each visa application – and if it is refused there are no refunds – even the US charges less than 1/3rd of this amount – if you can’t see the “business” here then I’m afraid you can’t see anything then.
This is how everyone is welcomed to Britain nowadays – students, visitors and investors – the UK authorities have a list of “excuses” for treating us this way – but we all know their real excuse – http://blog.dawn.com/2009/10/07/the-line-after-the-visa/
UK Anti-Foreign Immigration Policy Refusing Investor Visas to Millionaires!
UK Visas are a HUGE Business
RE: http://blog.dawn.com/2009/10/07/the-line-after-the-visa/
Now please do tell – are all the people posting comments to that blog liars??
And you brits are the only honest people left in the world now??
Think about this now – why would most people apply for a UK visa in the first place??
Because all around the world UK visas are a HUGE Business – lying and attracting innocent students, visitors and entrepreneurs – then treating them all like dogs upon arrival or rejecting them and stealing their money by charging ridiculously high application fees (non-refundable).
Don’t worry – the entire world has a very low opinion of UK now and its only getting worse – only EU citizens are allowed free entry into UK and we all know how economically strong the EU is nowadays… soon those will also go back or stop coming in so your wishes will be granted and you can have your country all back to yourselves… good luck!!!
I hope the day comes when every British traveling abroad is treated the same way as foreigners going to UK are treated. Britain is a disgraceful country with a shameless population of very hateful people – beware of going there for business – they only want your Money – not you!!!
UK Visas are a HUGE Business
UK Student Visa Rules
There has been a tightening on issuing student visas to the UK because of widespread abuse. Many so called students (really illegal immigrants) pay a small amount of money for false documentation to educational institutions that either don’t exist or do exist, but some within them are abusing their position to make money selling documents to people who want to live in Britain to work.
What exactly do you want Britain to do with regards to illegal immigrants who found a quick loop hole to gain access to the UK to work illegally by buying fake documents to prove they are studying here?
The student visa issuing was a big problem, it’s been tightened up recently and I’m sure mistakes will be made, however your example blog page above only has a few comments from people who were rejected for a UK visa and a couple of “I saw someone deported at a UK airport who seemed legitimate”. The site you linked to is far from proof of a widespread problem.
The British government (the Labour one) wants foreign investors, skilled migrant workers and foreign students to enter Britain since it’s good for our economy. Unfortunately there’s the perception that the media propagates (it’s news) that immigration is out of control and the British people have to some degree turned on immigrants.
It’s not racism though since they have the same problem with Polish immigrants that are white. There are areas in Britain where the number of immigrants has been too high and it’s caused strains on public services and strains between the different cultures. Had the Labour government controlled immigration better over the past decade or so we wouldn’t have this problem now.
I will say there’s an increasing religious and cultural intolerance developing in Britain against Islam/Muslims which far-right groups are trying to foster to benefit from politically (to some degree it’s working, but the recent general election shows not much though: the BNP didn’t get a single MP).
The problem we have is like with all religions and cultures there are extremes, there’s extremist Christians and there are extremist Muslims. In part because of the Iraq and Afghan wars there’s been an increase in extremist religious activity in the form of terrorist acts against Britain like 7/7 (though no where near as bad as what the IRA did).
So we are seeing a tendency towards religious discrimination in Britain, but the vast majority of Britain is very tolerant of other cultures and religions and although the British government has gone way over the top on ‘protecting us’ with draconian measures eroding our civil liberties, that’s not the true face of tolerant/multicultural Britain.
I don’t see an Asian man with a back pack and immediately think Islamic terrorist with a bomb! Despite the perception given by the media that there’s an Islamic terrorist in ever Mosque, the actual number of attacks on Britain is very low considering we are at war with Afghanistan .
David Law
UK Student Visa Rules
British People are "Closet" Racists
One more thing – British people are “closet” racists – they will pretend to be open and tolerant and accepting but in reality they are very racist deep inside hating and harbouring even evil thoughts about immigrants.
Ask any foreigner living in UK how much racism they face everyday – and only the desperate ones are staying there or wanting to move there now. People like me give a rats ass about the UK and will take our money where we are respected and treated like Human beings. I swear even when I’ve been to the UK on a bloody visit visa – I was interrogated like a criminal at the airports despite the fact they saw my financial statements and had fully verified everything before even giving me a visit visa.
They asked me even ridiculous questions like “how does a person from India have so much money??” and I replied back “India has always had money – you stole most of it during the 400 years of exploitation and looting your country carried out in India”.
Its a fact – India was the richest country in the world up until the 17th century when the British took over and destroyed it…but don’t worry we are well back on track and look whats happening to UK.
This is how they treat even investors – constantly suspicious and degrading people – they let you in but after they fully humiliate you and treat u like a dog at the border control desk….and no they are not at all polite – they are horrible. UK is an awful country to do business – whoever says its a welcoming environment for investors is LYING.
British People are "Closet" Racists
Comment Moderation
And now I can almost guarantee that the author of this blog will remove my comments so that no one gets to know the truth… who cares.. they all know it anyway.
British Business Entrepreneur
I’m a business entrepreneur just like you, I’m not part of the British government or anything with an agenda. I just say it how I see it.
So why would I delete your comments?
Take a look at the comments at http://www.general-election-2010.co.uk/ and you’ll see I don’t delete comments I disagree with, I debate with them, it’s fun and interesting to do so.
David Law
British Business Entrepreneur
UK Immigration Staff Discriminate Indian Passport Holders
First of all – I don’t really go by what the media, press and websites say – most of my anger and frustration is out of my own PERSONAL experiences dealing with British people and UK immigration staff etc.
If you saw the way I looked – firstly I don’t look Asian or Indian – there are many “Caucasian” Indians too – in fact more than a 100 million in the north are ethnically Caucasians. I have blue eyes and very white skin and yes light browish / blonde hair as well – no one really thinks I am an Indian but I don’t look “Anglo-Saxon” either. At best I look italian and greek to most people.. some even say French but in UK I certainly look like a “foreigner”.
Now – my problems with UK immigration staff are due to the fact they see my Indian Passport and start making all their assumptions – socially unless I tell people I am Indian – I don’t usually face any discrimination on my visits to London (and i’ve been coming there since I was 2 years old). I know the UK very well as a country and it has changed a lot in the past 5 years particularly. They were accepting of wealthy indians in the Past… my family has had a 100 yr travel history to the UK and none of us faced any issues up until recent times. The racism and xenophobia in Britain has gone out of control now.
Here is what I propose to stop all this hatred and control immigration –
1) Immediately stop accepting any further Asylum applications to the UK. Why should any country in the world – let alone a wealthy western power accept Asylum seekers so openly?? In fact the entire Asylum system is Unfair – think about it – a few people run away and seek asylum – when the majority of others in their position are stuck in their oppressive home countries – so isn’t the UK being unfair to those stuck in their oppressive countries by giving asylum to the few who escaped?? Why are these people coming to UK in the first place?? Why dont they go to a country like Australia which has plenty of land and lack of population or to Canada – the UK is too small and I agree a bit overcrowded already. Why don’t they even go to eastern European countries and seek asylum there?? The very fact they come to UK is because they want a Free ride and free benefits nothing else – in my opinion the doors to Asylum seekers should be indefinitely closed for Britain and other larger countries which can accommodate more people should be opened up for these people. Another idea would be to liaise with the Canadian or Australian govt. to send Asylum seekers over there if they land on UK soil – and let them go through a legal process to gain lawful residence and be law abiding citizens of those countries instead.
2) Deport every immigrant immediately who has committed a serious offence in the UK – such as murder, rape, etc. I am extremely against such people living in the UK.
3) Just by taking care of the above 2 – UK will have solved more than half of its immigrant issues. Now I do propose controlled immigration for skilled people and businessmen as well as wealthy foreigners who just want to live in UK and spend their foreign earned income. France, Spain, Italy etc. all offer what is called “Non-Lucrative” visas to foreigners of independent means. The UK does this too – but they want us to invest £1 million in useless 1-2% yielding govt. bonds or unit trusts and lock that money away for 5 years. They won’t even allow that investment in property. Is this a fair system?? On one hand they give free housing, free passports, and free food to Asylum seekers and criminals – while on the other hand they want wealthy investors to lock up a £1 million bucks for 5 years in useless investments and on top of that pay hefty taxes???? Its the stupidest policy in the world. France, Spain and Italy – only require proof of funds and foreign income to offer this kind of a visa – there is no ridiculous investment requirement. At the very least UK should reduce this amount to £500k – as this is a reasonable amount for anyone to live 10 years in the UK without having to work and be a burden on the system. Foreigners with money bring much more to the economy than average people understand – we come there to spend our money without earning anything… we spend in local businesses, services, going out and partying, shopping etc… all things which are important for an economy to grow. If laws for wealthy foreigners are also made so tuff and we are treated the same way as asylum seekers and illegal students then is that fair to us????? cmon… really.
Overall the entire immigration policy in UK is flawed at the moment – they want more and more people to come and live temporarily which will keep fueling their system – however they dont realize that as and when people get aware of this “temporary” user immigration policy – far less will be willing to come or even try to immigrate to UK – except for the same criminal minded, or desperate asylum seekers who have nothing to lose by going to britain but a lot to gain for free.
The quality of IMMIGRANTS UK gets depends on the type they are attracting right now with their messed up immigration policies – if they made it easier and more welcoming for independently wealthy foreigners who just want to buy nice houses and bring foreign income into UK – it would only benefit everyone. Also wealthy foreigners who want to move to UK want to do so because they enjoy the way of life there and wish to be part of it – the poor ones who move have no interest in British culture or way of life and just want the money and they want british people to change their way of life to suit the foreigners instead.
The current British immigration policies are complete utter nonsense – they are only in place to show the world that UK is a nice tolerant country – when the reality is this system is only aimed at making money and disrespecting everyone from students to skilled migrants and even investors. The bloody visa officers at embassies around the world do not see any difference between different categories of immigrants – they see us all the same dirty way.. they hate us and they look for little reasons to reject us to take out their frustrations… and yes they are doing this to investors too.. believe me. Most investors and rich people dont have the patience to deal with the system and just go to easier countries. France has never treated me this way, neither has Italy… they are far more accepting and tolerant.. they see the money and give us a visa in 2 minutes as opposed to the British who make our lives hell for months.. and even if after that we get a visa to UK – the entire experience is so bad that the charm no longer stays and we just decide to move on to better places.
I really don’t think I want to come back again – I’ll miss selfridges and harvey nichols as well as having tea at the claridges or lunch at the Dorchester… but i’ll survive without all that….
UK Immigration Staff Discriminate Indian Passport Holders
Solution for Identifying Genuine Foreign Students
Forgot to mention – I actually had sent a personal email to the student Immigration Head of UK as well as the British Ambassador to India in regards to a simple solution for identifying genuine students from the fake ones –
Just make them pay the full course fee upfront before landing in UK and being granted the visa. What most fake students do is – gain entry in the UK then disappear or maintain their student status for a little while then seek jobs. But if you made them pay a full course fee upfront as well as prove they have enough funds to live on – then the more genuine people would only go on student visas. An education in UK Is far cheaper than USA – almost half or in some cases 1/3rd the cost – but if someone can really afford even that much genuinely then they should have no problems paying upfront for a course in the UK in exchange for a hassle free and respectable entry into the country. Yes they might lose half the student applicants in this process – but think about the guaranteed upfront fees that the other half bring into the country and their genuineness in contributing to UK’s economy – they can also put in a clause if the student wishes to abandon their studies they will be refunded the remaining amount – only once their visas are canceled and they are back in their home country.
I think thats a fair system. As for other genuine students seeking a quality education – at least in India there are world class educational institutions now which accept foreigners as well and cost of living / studying is very low here… genuine students will happily go anywhere in the world for an education – its the fake ones who target countries like UK and Australia for a free ride and easy jobs working illegally… sorry I have no pity for them because they ruin everything for the rest of us and give everyone else a bad name.
Solution for Identifying Genuine Foreign Students