H-1B Visa Senior ML Engineer Jobs
Senior ML Engineer roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations under the computer occupations SOC category, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, statistics, or a related field. Most employers filing LCAs for these roles fall under Level III or IV prevailing wages, reflecting the seniority of the position.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.
The mission of the Waymo AI Foundations team is to develop machine learning solutions addressing open problems in autonomous driving, towards the goal of safely operating Waymo vehicles in dozens of cities and under all driving conditions. As part of our work, we also initiate and foster collaborations with other research teams in Alphabet. AI Foundations areas that we are currently focusing on include reinforcement learning, learning from demonstration, generative modeling, Bayesian inference, hierarchical learning, and robust evaluation.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Research Director of AI Foundations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
You will:
- Work on distillation from large foundation models to smaller real-time models.
- Explore LLM/VLM distillation recipes to maximally transfer the quality gains from teachers.
- Customize distillation data and recipe for business-critical Semantics tasks.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
You have:
- Experience in building large-scale deep learning systems.
- Experience in VLM/LLM models.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
We prefer:
- Experience in training or deploying multi-modal LLMs.
- Distillation related experience.
COMPENSATION
The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.
Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.
- Salary Range: $213,000—$263,000 USD
INTRODUCTION
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.
The mission of the Waymo AI Foundations team is to develop machine learning solutions addressing open problems in autonomous driving, towards the goal of safely operating Waymo vehicles in dozens of cities and under all driving conditions. As part of our work, we also initiate and foster collaborations with other research teams in Alphabet. AI Foundations areas that we are currently focusing on include reinforcement learning, learning from demonstration, generative modeling, Bayesian inference, hierarchical learning, and robust evaluation.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Research Director of AI Foundations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
You will:
- Work on distillation from large foundation models to smaller real-time models.
- Explore LLM/VLM distillation recipes to maximally transfer the quality gains from teachers.
- Customize distillation data and recipe for business-critical Semantics tasks.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
You have:
- Experience in building large-scale deep learning systems.
- Experience in VLM/LLM models.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
We prefer:
- Experience in training or deploying multi-modal LLMs.
- Distillation related experience.
COMPENSATION
The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.
Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.
- Salary Range: $213,000—$263,000 USD
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Senior ML Engineer
Verify your degree supports specialty occupation
USCIS scrutinizes whether your degree field directly relates to ML engineering. A computer science or statistics degree is cleanest. If yours is adjacent, gather transcripts showing coursework in machine learning, linear algebra, and algorithms before applications go out.
Look up prevailing wages before negotiating
Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the Level III or IV wage for your target SOC code and metro area. Your offered salary must meet or exceed the LCA-certified wage, so knowing the floor before negotiating protects your sponsorship eligibility.
Filter employers by active LCA filing history
Search Migrate Mate to identify companies with recent LCA filings for ML engineering roles. Employers who've filed within the past 12 months have active sponsorship infrastructure, making them far more likely to move quickly through the H-1B process.
Target cap-exempt employers to skip the lottery
Universities, nonprofit research labs, and government-affiliated institutions are cap-exempt, meaning they can file H-1B petitions year-round without lottery selection. Senior ML roles exist at places like national labs and academic medical centers, and a cap-exempt offer eliminates lottery risk entirely.
Request premium processing before your OPT expires
USCIS premium processing guarantees a 15-business-day adjudication decision. If your OPT end date is close to October 1, confirm your employer will file with premium processing so any RFE response window doesn't push adjudication past your authorized period.
Prepare an ML portfolio that addresses specialty occupation RFEs
USCIS sometimes issues RFEs questioning whether senior ML roles qualify as specialty occupations. Compile peer-reviewed publications, model architecture documentation, and O*NET job zone data before filing so your employer's attorney can respond without delay.
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Find Senior ML Engineer JobsSenior ML Engineer H-1B Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior ML Engineer role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Senior ML Engineer positions fall under computer occupations SOC codes that USCIS consistently recognizes as specialty occupations, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a directly related field. The seniority level actually strengthens the case because it reinforces that the role demands specialized theoretical knowledge, not just general programming skills.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor H-1B visas for ML engineers?
Search Migrate Mate, which surfaces employers with verified LCA filing history filtered by occupation. Prioritize companies that have filed LCAs specifically for machine learning or data science roles in the past year. Active filings signal that a company has established relationships with immigration counsel and understands the H-1B timeline, reducing friction on your end.
Can I switch to a new ML engineer employer while on H-1B status?
Yes, through H-1B portability under AC21. If your current H-1B has been approved for at least 180 days and you move to a same-or-similar occupation, you can start working for the new employer as soon as they file the transfer petition, before it's approved. ML engineering roles within the same SOC code group generally qualify as same-or-similar.
What happens if my H-1B lottery registration isn't selected?
You have several fallback paths. Cap-exempt employers, including universities and qualifying nonprofit research organizations, can sponsor you without lottery selection. An O-1A visa is another route if you have published research, patents, or other evidence of extraordinary ability in machine learning. Some candidates also pursue L-1 transfers through multinational employers if they've worked abroad for the same company.
Does my employer's H-1B petition need to specify machine learning as my primary duty?
Yes. The LCA and I-129 petition must accurately describe your actual job duties, including the specific ML frameworks, model types, and research or production systems you'll work on. Vague duty descriptions like 'software development' invite RFEs. Your employer's attorney should document why the role requires a specialized degree, not just technical experience, to satisfy the specialty occupation standard.
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