Applications to work in the USA are certain to have increased with the news that there has been a visa request surge in Doha recently.

In fact, there has been a massive 92 per cent increase for non-immigrant visas since the beginning of 2007, according to the Peninsula Qatar.

Tim Ponce, consul at the US embassy in Doha, said: “We expect the number of visa applications to go up further once Qatar Airways starts flights to New York and Washington.”

Visitors insurance is sure to rise also with tourist and business visa requests increasing as well as those for study and exchange visas.

“The embassy has been very busy for the past six months,” Mr Ponce added.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways chief executive officer, commented on the launch of the new services to the US earlier this month.

He said: “This interest is being reflected in the huge amount of pre-sales to the United States. With the launch of these new flights to New York and Washington, we are offering the travelling public from Qatar, across the GCC and key markets in the Indian subcontinent with a greater choice and options of flying Qatar Airways’ award-winning Five Star service to these exciting destinations in the United States.”

Contributed by J.Coggans