H-1B Visa Machine Learning Engineer Jobs
Machine Learning Engineer roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations under the computer-related occupations category, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, statistics, or a related field. Most ML positions fall under SOC code 15-2051 or 15-1212, which have strong H-1B filing histories at tech, finance, and healthcare companies.
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Get Access To All JobsMachine Learning Operations Engineer (Rate: $60)
Location: Newark NJ
We are seeking a Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer to join our team. The MLOps Engineer will be responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure that enables reliable deployment, monitoring, governance, and continuous improvement of production machine learning systems across enterprise client environments.
What You'll Do:
- Design, build, and maintain scalable machine learning deployment pipelines.
- Develop standardized model registries, artifact repositories, data versioning, and reproducible ML environments.
- Build automated evaluation pipelines for production machine learning models.
- Implement automated data quality monitoring including profiling, anomaly detection, validation, quarantine, and alerting.
- Develop automated retraining workflows, promotion gates, rollback capabilities, and audit trails.
- Monitor production environments for model drift, latency, prediction quality, infrastructure performance, and operational costs.
- Troubleshoot production machine learning issues and lead incident response activities.
- Build CI/CD pipelines supporting enterprise AI applications.
- Collaborate closely with Data Scientists and client engineering teams to deploy and maintain AI solutions.
- Ensure governance, security, lineage, reproducibility, and audit readiness across machine learning platforms.
Who You Are:
- 8+ years - Passionate about building reliable AI infrastructure at enterprise scale.
- Experienced deploying and maintaining production machine learning systems.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
- Fast learner with attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Comfortable working with both software engineering and data science teams.
Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related technical field.
Related Work Experience: 3+ years supporting production machine learning platforms or cloud infrastructure.
Technical Skills:
- Advanced SQL
- Python
- Apache Spark / PySpark
- AWS SageMaker (Databricks, Azure ML, or Vertex AI experience is a plus)
- Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
- Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar)
- Model monitoring and ML observability tools
- Data validation and automated testing frameworks
- Statistics related to monitoring, model drift, and performance evaluation
- Git and modern DevOps practices
Machine Learning Operations Engineer (Rate: $60)
Location: Newark NJ
We are seeking a Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer to join our team. The MLOps Engineer will be responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure that enables reliable deployment, monitoring, governance, and continuous improvement of production machine learning systems across enterprise client environments.
What You'll Do:
- Design, build, and maintain scalable machine learning deployment pipelines.
- Develop standardized model registries, artifact repositories, data versioning, and reproducible ML environments.
- Build automated evaluation pipelines for production machine learning models.
- Implement automated data quality monitoring including profiling, anomaly detection, validation, quarantine, and alerting.
- Develop automated retraining workflows, promotion gates, rollback capabilities, and audit trails.
- Monitor production environments for model drift, latency, prediction quality, infrastructure performance, and operational costs.
- Troubleshoot production machine learning issues and lead incident response activities.
- Build CI/CD pipelines supporting enterprise AI applications.
- Collaborate closely with Data Scientists and client engineering teams to deploy and maintain AI solutions.
- Ensure governance, security, lineage, reproducibility, and audit readiness across machine learning platforms.
Who You Are:
- 8+ years - Passionate about building reliable AI infrastructure at enterprise scale.
- Experienced deploying and maintaining production machine learning systems.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
- Fast learner with attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Comfortable working with both software engineering and data science teams.
Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related technical field.
Related Work Experience: 3+ years supporting production machine learning platforms or cloud infrastructure.
Technical Skills:
- Advanced SQL
- Python
- Apache Spark / PySpark
- AWS SageMaker (Databricks, Azure ML, or Vertex AI experience is a plus)
- Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
- Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar)
- Model monitoring and ML observability tools
- Data validation and automated testing frameworks
- Statistics related to monitoring, model drift, and performance evaluation
- Git and modern DevOps practices
See all 2,649+ H-1B Visa Machine Learning Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Machine Learning Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Machine Learning Engineer
Verify your SOC code before applying
ML Engineer roles get filed under different SOC codes depending on the employer. Check the O*NET profile for 15-2051 and 15-1212 to confirm your job duties align, since a SOC mismatch can trigger an RFE on specialty occupation grounds.
Target employers with certified LCA history
Filter employers by their DOL Labor Condition Application filings for ML-specific job titles before you apply. Migrate Mate surfaces this LCA data by occupation, so you can see which companies have filed for roles matching your background.
Document your degree equivalency early
If your degree is from outside the U.S. or in a field adjacent to ML, get a credential evaluation before your employer files. USCIS scrutinizes degree-to-role fit for ML positions, and a credential evaluation letter strengthens the specialty occupation argument.
Negotiate premium processing into your offer
Standard H-1B processing can run several months, which creates gaps if you're transitioning from OPT or another status. Ask during negotiations whether the employer will file with USCIS premium processing so your petition adjudicates within 15 business days.
Check prevailing wage level before accepting an offer
Your employer must certify your salary meets the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up Level I through Level IV wages for ML roles in your metro area before you sign.
Prepare for research exemption eligibility questions
ML Engineers at universities or nonprofit research organizations may qualify for cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship, bypassing the lottery entirely. Confirm whether your employer holds cap-exempt status with USCIS before assuming you need to compete in the annual lottery.
H-1B Visa Machine Learning Engineer: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Machine Learning Engineer role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. ML Engineer positions require at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, statistics, or a closely related field, which meets the USCIS specialty occupation definition. Employers document this in the H-1B petition by tying the job duties, such as model development and algorithm design, to that specific degree requirement. Roles that accept any bachelor's degree regardless of field are harder to defend and more likely to receive an RFE.
Which SOC codes do employers use when filing H-1B petitions for ML Engineers?
Most employers file under SOC 15-2051 (Data Scientists) or SOC 15-1212 (Information Security Analysts), though some use 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) depending on how the job duties are framed. The SOC code affects the DOL prevailing wage tier and the strength of the specialty occupation argument. Confirm which code your employer intends to use before the LCA is filed, since changing it later requires refiling with DOL.
How do I find employers who have sponsored H-1B visas for Machine Learning Engineer jobs?
Search Migrate Mate to browse ML Engineer roles filtered by employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history. DOL LCA disclosure data is public and shows which companies have certified positions under ML-related SOC codes. Targeting employers with an established sponsorship track record reduces the risk of encountering a company unfamiliar with the H-1B process mid-hiring-cycle.
Can I transfer my H-1B to a new ML Engineer role without losing my place in the cap?
Yes. If you've already been counted against the H-1B cap, you can transfer your H-1B to a new employer through the H-1B portability provision under AC21, which lets you start work as soon as the new I-129 is filed, not after approval. Your new employer files a new LCA with DOL for the specific ML role and location, then petitions USCIS. You don't reenter the lottery.
What triggers an RFE on an H-1B petition for a Machine Learning Engineer position?
The two most common RFE triggers for ML Engineer petitions are specialty occupation disputes and degree-field mismatches. USCIS may question whether the role genuinely requires a specific bachelor's degree if the job description is broad or lists multiple qualifying fields. Employers strengthen the petition by providing industry wage data, internal job posting requirements, and documentation showing that ML roles across the industry require the same degree field.