Tariq Shaikh, 30, is an architect currently designing a bar and recovering from a season of playing rugby for a local club. Nicknamed Taz, he came to Hong Kong 17 months ago after qualifying in his native Britain and working in Germany. Taz lives in Mid-Levels with his girlfriend, a librarian. What's on your mind? I'm looking forward to going to Macau for the weekend. I've never been there and I've been working really hard recently so it will be a nice break. Did you know it will be the last weekend when immigration officers will give British passport holders a one-year visa before rule changes on April 1? Yes and that's part of the reason for going. I want to see all the places in Macau I have heard about and eat all the food and drink all the cheap wine I have heard about. But it will be a lot less hassle now if I can get a one-year stay. I think it's good that Britons can get this one-year visa at the moment to see them through the handover. If everyone had to queue up to get a new visa from July 1 it would mean a lot of unnecessary problems. I know people who want to stay through the handover and a little while after, but a year will be more than enough for them. Some Britons are finding they are not getting the one-year stamp when re-entering Hong Kong. What will you do if this happens? I'll definitely hassle for the one-year stamp so I hope the immigration officers are co-operative because, as a rugby player, I'm used to getting into rucks and mauls - and coming through. If I don't get it, I have got the stamp until January from when I came back from holiday. I don't know how long I will be in Hong Kong. I'm just playing it off the cuff, so maybe I will have to apply for a visa at some stage. Was visa-free access for Britons the reason you came to Hong Kong? No. I wanted to be somewhere where history was going to take place. If I had needed a visa to stay and work then I would have got one though, obviously, it was easier not having to do that. Are you worried that the ferries might be full with people going on holiday and Britons trying to beat the visa deadline? My girlfriend has made all the arrangements so I know we've got tickets even if the ferries are full. There probably will be a lot of people like me wanting to get the stamp and, just like me, leaving it to the last minute. I suppose the work visa system is a good idea but if I can avoid hassle, I will.
