Senator looks into Boeing's use of visas for Russian engineers
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter Monday to the departments of State and Homeland Security, raising questions about Boeing's use of B-1 visas to bring Russian contract engineers into the country.
Originally published April 30, 2012 at 7:42 PM | Page modified April 30, 2012 at 7:43 PM

By Dominic Gates

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter Monday to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, raising questions about Boeing's use of B-1 visas to bring Russian contract engineers here.

Grassley cited Seattle Times stories on an incident last October, when 18 Russian contract engineers with B-1 visas were turned away at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by agents of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and sent back to Moscow.

He asked whether Homeland Security will do an on-site audit of Boeing's practices with regard to visas and the employment eligibility of those it invites to the U.S.

"If not, why not?" Grassley added in the letter.

Grassley first focused on the issue of corporations abusing B-1 visas last year, after the filing of a still-pending lawsuit in Alabama that alleged violations by Indian software firm Infosys.

"It has come to my attention that The Boeing Company may have employed similar tactics to bring in foreign workers," Grassley wrote to the two Cabinet members. He said he was "dismayed" to read a recent Seattle Times report that Boeing has resumed bringing in Russian contract engineers and that some 250 have come since the October incident.

The B-1 visa is for visitors coming to the U.S. on short-term business trips. Holders may engage in training and liaison activities but aren't allowed to work directly for a U.S. company.

Grassley reminded Clinton and Napolitano that last May, responding to letters from him, the State Department said it was working with Homeland Security on "removing or substantially amending" a policy that lets business visitors under certain circumstances enter on B-1 visas rather than H-1B nonimmigrant work visas.

"To date, nothing on this issue has been done," Grassley wrote.

He asked the two departments for data on how many B-1 visas Boeing applied for in the past five years, and how many previous U.S. trips the 18 engineers turned back in October had made for Boeing.

Heavily redacted CBP documents released to The Seattle Times after a Freedom of Information Act request show that many of the 18 had made up to seven previous visits, coming in for two to three months each time.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), the white-collar union at Boeing, has expressed concern both to Boeing and the State Department about the practice, which it sees as taking work away from its members.

Grassley asked the State Department if CBP officers were properly trained on how to handle B-1 visa entrants, and whether consular officials overseas are trained in how to detect fraud by B-1 applicants.

State and Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.

Boeing said in a statement it resumed invitations to Russian engineers to travel here on B-1 visas after discussions with CBP and an internal review of its processes for issuing the invitations.

"It will continue to be essential for Boeing (Moscow) personnel to travel regularly to the United States for activities related to the engineering work packages performed at the Boeing Design Center in Moscow," Boeing added.

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com


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