Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs at Microsoft with Visa Sponsorship
Senior Software Development Engineer jobs at Microsoft sit at the top of the individual contributor track, covering everything from distributed systems and cloud infrastructure to AI and developer tooling. Microsoft has a well-established sponsorship process for this function, making it one of the more predictable paths for international engineers pursuing long-term U.S. work authorization.
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Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be, and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world.
The CoreAI organization at Microsoft builds the end-to-end AI stack and is core to Azure AI innovation and differentiation, as well as all of Microsoft’s flagship products, from GitHub, to Office, Teams, and Xbox. We are the team building Responsible AI, Azure OpenAI, Model as a Service, Azure ML, Cognitive Services, and the global Azure AI infrastructure for running the largest AI workloads on the planet. We do not just value differences or different perspectives, we seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served. Within CoreAI, the Foundry team empowers builders around the world of all skill levels to easily create AI apps.
The Responsible AI group focuses on identifying, measuring, mitigating, and monitoring Responsible AI risks in AI-generated and human-generated content spanning text, image, audio, video, and multimodal content. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer - Responsible AI who is passionate about building customer-facing AI services with scalable and sustainable architecture and implementation and with high performance, low latency, and high availability. In this role, you will work with a unique group of talented engineers, scientists, and product managers to build the industry's best Responsible AI services. You will own the design of new AI services and integration with existing services such as Azure AI Content Safety, Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Studio, and more.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop large-scale distributed cloud services and solutions with a focus on high availability, scalability, robustness, and observability.
- Lead project development across the organization and work with subject matter experts and stakeholders to drive development and release plans.
- Take end-to-end responsibility for the development lifecycle and production readiness of the services you build and drive the team’s DevOps culture.
- Drive and uphold the best practices of modern software engineering through code and design reviews and take effective service decisions based on data and telemetry.
- Understand Microsoft businesses and collaborate with stakeholders towards cohesive, end-to-end experiences for Microsoft customers.
- Embrace a growth mindset and stay up to date with the current and state-of-the-art technologies to improve customer experience and better serve the product’s business needs.
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
- Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
Preferred/Additional Qualifications
- 4+ years of technical engineering experience designing and delivering highly available, large-scale cloud services and distributed systems.
- 2+ years of technical engineering experience with machine learning model development, release, and operations.
- Demonstrate depth of knowledge and understanding of software architecture, design tradeoffs, and practices of mature DevOps culture.
- Experience using appropriate artificial intelligence (AI) tools and practices across the software development lifecycle (SDLC) in a disciplined manner.
- Experience in any one or more of the following areas:
- Safety and governance platforms for AI models and agents
- Inference, routing, orchestration, and policy enforcement systems
- Evaluation, red teaming, and monitoring infrastructure for AI systems
- Deployment automation, CI/CD, and compliance tooling (e.g., zero-manual-effort deployments)
- Multimodal safety infrastructure (image, video, audio, provenance)
- Agent governance and control-plane capabilities
Compensation
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
Overview
Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be, and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world.
The CoreAI organization at Microsoft builds the end-to-end AI stack and is core to Azure AI innovation and differentiation, as well as all of Microsoft’s flagship products, from GitHub, to Office, Teams, and Xbox. We are the team building Responsible AI, Azure OpenAI, Model as a Service, Azure ML, Cognitive Services, and the global Azure AI infrastructure for running the largest AI workloads on the planet. We do not just value differences or different perspectives, we seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served. Within CoreAI, the Foundry team empowers builders around the world of all skill levels to easily create AI apps.
The Responsible AI group focuses on identifying, measuring, mitigating, and monitoring Responsible AI risks in AI-generated and human-generated content spanning text, image, audio, video, and multimodal content. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer - Responsible AI who is passionate about building customer-facing AI services with scalable and sustainable architecture and implementation and with high performance, low latency, and high availability. In this role, you will work with a unique group of talented engineers, scientists, and product managers to build the industry's best Responsible AI services. You will own the design of new AI services and integration with existing services such as Azure AI Content Safety, Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Studio, and more.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop large-scale distributed cloud services and solutions with a focus on high availability, scalability, robustness, and observability.
- Lead project development across the organization and work with subject matter experts and stakeholders to drive development and release plans.
- Take end-to-end responsibility for the development lifecycle and production readiness of the services you build and drive the team’s DevOps culture.
- Drive and uphold the best practices of modern software engineering through code and design reviews and take effective service decisions based on data and telemetry.
- Understand Microsoft businesses and collaborate with stakeholders towards cohesive, end-to-end experiences for Microsoft customers.
- Embrace a growth mindset and stay up to date with the current and state-of-the-art technologies to improve customer experience and better serve the product’s business needs.
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
- Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
Preferred/Additional Qualifications
- 4+ years of technical engineering experience designing and delivering highly available, large-scale cloud services and distributed systems.
- 2+ years of technical engineering experience with machine learning model development, release, and operations.
- Demonstrate depth of knowledge and understanding of software architecture, design tradeoffs, and practices of mature DevOps culture.
- Experience using appropriate artificial intelligence (AI) tools and practices across the software development lifecycle (SDLC) in a disciplined manner.
- Experience in any one or more of the following areas:
- Safety and governance platforms for AI models and agents
- Inference, routing, orchestration, and policy enforcement systems
- Evaluation, red teaming, and monitoring infrastructure for AI systems
- Deployment automation, CI/CD, and compliance tooling (e.g., zero-manual-effort deployments)
- Multimodal safety infrastructure (image, video, audio, provenance)
- Agent governance and control-plane capabilities
Compensation
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
See all Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs at Microsoft
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs at Microsoft.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs at Microsoft
Align your portfolio to Microsoft's engineering scope
Microsoft's Senior SDE bar prioritizes systems thinking over feature work. Document contributions to large-scale distributed systems, platform reliability, or cross-team technical leadership. Interviewers look for evidence you've influenced architecture, not just shipped code.
Pursue teams already using E-3 or H-1B1
Microsoft sponsors both E-3 visas for Australians and H-1B1 visas for Singaporeans and Chileans, which bypass the H-1B lottery entirely. Targeting teams that have hired on these categories before shortens your path to an offer and simplifies the filing timeline.
Prepare your degree equivalency documentation early
Microsoft's immigration team routinely needs to establish specialty occupation status for Senior SDE roles. If your degree is from outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-approved evaluator before your offer stage so there's no delay in filing.
Understand where you sit in the H-1B cap cycle
If you need a cap-subject H-1B, Microsoft files in April for an October 1 start. That means a spring offer can mean a five-month wait before you can legally start. Confirm your current status and whether a cap-exempt bridge role is possible.
Search open Senior SDE roles on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate filters Microsoft's open Senior Software Development Engineer positions by visa type so you can see which roles align with your sponsorship situation before applying. This saves time and focuses your applications on realistic opportunities.
Request clarity on PERM timing before signing
For Green Card sponsorship via EB-2 or EB-3, Microsoft typically initiates PERM after you've established yourself in the role. Ask your recruiter what the standard timeline looks like for your team so you can plan around the DOL's prevailing wage and audit processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft sponsor H-1B visas for Senior Software Development Engineers?
Yes, Microsoft sponsors H-1B visas for Senior Software Development Engineer roles and has one of the most active H-1B sponsorship programs in the technology industry. The company handles the full filing process, including the Labor Condition Application with the DOL, and also supports Green Card sponsorship through the EB-2 and EB-3 categories for eligible employees in this role.
How do I apply for Senior Software Development Engineer jobs at Microsoft?
Applications go through Microsoft's careers portal, where Senior SDE roles are listed by team and location. The interview process typically includes a recruiter screen, technical phone rounds, and a full loop of coding and system design interviews. You can browse currently open Senior Software Development Engineer positions at Microsoft that are open to visa sponsorship on Migrate Mate before applying directly.
Which visa types does Microsoft commonly use for Senior Software Development Engineers?
Microsoft sponsors H-1B, E-3 visa (for Australian citizens), H-1B1 visa (for Singaporean and Chilean nationals), and immigrant visas under the EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based categories for Senior SDE roles. E-3 visa and H-1B1 are particularly efficient options where eligible because they are not subject to the annual H-1B lottery and can be filed year-round.
What qualifications does Microsoft expect for Senior Software Development Engineer candidates?
Microsoft's Senior SDE level generally requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a closely related field, plus several years of professional software engineering experience. Beyond credentials, the bar emphasizes system design capability, demonstrated ownership of complex technical problems, and the ability to drive decisions across engineering teams. A strong USCIS specialty occupation case depends on the degree-to-role match, so field alignment matters.
How long does the visa sponsorship process take for a Senior SDE offer at Microsoft?
For cap-subject H-1B cases, the timeline runs from an April lottery registration to an October 1 start date, meaning a typical offer-to-start gap of five to six months. E-3 and H-1B1 visa cases can move faster, often within four to eight weeks after offer acceptance. USCIS premium processing, available for an additional fee, can reduce petition adjudication to roughly 15 business days.