Stricter rules about work permits for entertainers could force visiting orchestras, theatre companies and pop stars off the road.
The new laws, due to be implemented in the spring, will affect everyone, from the Berlin Philharmonic to the celebrity entourages accompanying the likes of pop diva Mariah Carey.
They will prevent foreign artistes and entertainers from entering the UK on a ‘group’ work permit, as is currently legal. Any person wishing to travel to the UK as part of a touring group will have to make an individual application at a British consulate in their home country.