VFR over the top is quite useful sometimes. For example, I once left Big Bear in California, 6700' altitude, and it was solid IMC down at around 2000' despite us being in glorious sunshine. I flew to the coast 50 odd miles away which was also in sunshine, and landed without having to file IFR.
By the way, someone who has a foreign IR is excempt from the "in sight of surface" requirement because holding a foreign IR allows one to fly IAW IFR outside CAS without holding an IMCr or UK IR.