H-1B1 Chile Visa ML Engineer Jobs
ML Engineer jobs with H-1B1 Chile visa sponsorship are open to Chilean nationals under the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement. No lottery, no USCIS filing, and the 1,400-visa annual cap rarely fills. Employers file a Labor Condition Application with DOL, and you apply directly at the consulate with your job offer in hand.
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Company Description
It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.
We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.
The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.
If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.
Job Description
Primary Function
The AI Research group within Intuitive Surgical has an immediate opening in Sunnyvale, CA for a Machine Learning Engineer with focus on physical AI systems, robotics simulation environments and end-to-end ML pipelines, contributing to new technology development for next-generation robot-assisted surgery platforms.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and optimize scalable Simulation and RL infrastructure for training surgical robots in simulated environments, leveraging distributed systems for parallel processing and high-throughput simulations
- Optimize performance across the simulation stack, including distributed systems, Inference, and rendering, to ensure optimal usage of hardware resources and fast, efficient simulations
- Sim-to-Real Validation: Support efforts to reduce the sim-to-real gap through domain randomization, noise modelling, and physics-based constraints.
- Synthetic Data Generation: Develop simulation workflows to produce synthetic datasets for AI model training and validation.
- Designing large-scale data pipelines from multimodal robot sensor streams (vision, depth, proprioception, action logs)
- Running structured experimentation across architectures, datasets, and training strategies for physical AI systems
- Contribute to end-to-end learning pipelines from data collection training evaluation to real-world deployment
- Work with AI/ML engineers to integrate simulation outputs into training pipelines, especially for physics-informed models.
- Deliver high-quality, production-ready code in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
- Contribute to building new clinical datasets and data pipelines.
- Participate in integration of new ML/CV algorithms into existing and future robotic platforms.
- Collaborate with users and clinical advisors to iterate prototype designs based on feedback and performance.
Qualifications
Experience and Abilities
- Doctoral degree in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, or Master's degree with minimum (5) years industry experience developing robotics and machine learning applications.
- Strong background in ML infrastructure, including designing training pipelines, data orchestration, and deployment of RL models at scale
- Proficiency in GPU optimizations for either inference or rendering
- Proficiency in Python, with familiarity in frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or RL libraries, and a proven ability to write clean, scalable, and efficient code
- Ability to research, implement, and adapt cutting-edge techniques from academic and industry sources into practical, production-ready solutions for scalable RL in simulation
- Strong hands-on experience with Python (proficiency), C/C++ (proficiency), shell scripting
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
- Self-starter and able to work in a collaborative and results-oriented environment.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally (5-15%)
- Able to view live and recorded surgical procedures.
Additional Information
Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.
Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.
Mandatory Notices
U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.
Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).
For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.
Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.
We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.
Base Compensation Range Region 1: $164,000 USD - $236,000 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $139,400 USD - $200,600 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.
Location: San Francisco, CA, United States
Job Type: Not Remote
Department: Engineering
Job ID: JOB216388
See all 143+ H-1B1 Chile Visa ML Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a ML Engineer
Verify your degree satisfies specialty occupation
The H-1B1 visa requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a field directly related to ML engineering. A degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or applied mathematics typically qualifies. A general management or unrelated STEM degree won't, even with years of ML experience.
Pull your O*NET occupation profile before applying
ML Engineer maps to O*NET occupation 15-2051.00 under Mathematical Science Occupations. Printing that profile and matching your responsibilities to the listed tasks gives your employer concrete language to justify specialty occupation status in the LCA.
Target employers already filing LCAs for technical roles
Search Migrate Mate to find companies with active Labor Condition Application history for software and ML roles. Employers who have filed before understand the H-1B1 Chile pathway and won't stall your offer letter waiting for legal team education.
Confirm your offer letter specifies full-time employment
The H-1B1 visa requires a legitimate U.S. job offer for a specific role at a named employer. Part-time offers, contractor arrangements, or vague consulting agreements won't satisfy consular review. Get a formal employment letter stating your title, duties, and start date.
Check that your employer's LCA wage meets prevailing wage
DOL requires the LCA to certify a wage at or above the prevailing level for your occupation and location. Before the offer stage, run your role's wage level through the OFLC Wage Search to know what Level I through IV rates look like for ML engineers in your target city.
Use your two-year H-1B1 renewal cycle strategically
Unlike H-1B visa, the H-1B1 Chile visa doesn't lead directly to a green card filing while in status. If your employer plans to sponsor permanent residence, discuss PERM timing early so the labor certification process starts before your first renewal cycle ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an ML Engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for the H-1B1 Chile visa?
Yes. ML Engineer roles require theoretical and practical application of machine learning, statistics, and software engineering, and typically demand a bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, mathematics, or a related field. USCIS and consular officers assess specialty occupation based on the degree requirement for the specific position, not the job title alone. Your offer letter and employer documentation must tie the role's duties to that degree requirement.
How does the H-1B1 Chile visa compare to the H-1B for ML Engineer jobs?
The H-1B1 Chile visa has a dedicated annual cap of 1,400 visas for Chilean nationals, no lottery, and consular processing rather than a USCIS petition, which means faster and more predictable access to U.S. ML roles. The H-1B requires USCIS approval, is subject to an 85,000-slot lottery with a roughly 25 percent selection rate, and carries higher employer filing costs. The trade-off is that the H-1B1 doesn't support dual intent, so long-term green card planning requires separate timing.
How do I find U.S. employers willing to sponsor an H-1B1 Chile visa for an ML Engineer?
Use Migrate Mate to search for employers with active Labor Condition Application filing history in machine learning and software engineering roles. Companies that have already filed LCAs for technical positions understand the sponsorship process and are far less likely to withdraw an offer once they learn the H-1B1 visa requires employer LCA filing.
What documents do I need for my H-1B1 Chile consular interview as an ML Engineer?
You'll need your certified LCA from DOL, a formal job offer letter from your employer, your academic credentials showing a degree in a directly related field, your DS-160 confirmation, and valid passport. Consular officers may also ask for evidence tying your degree field to ML engineering duties, so bring transcripts or a credential evaluation if your degree title isn't an obvious match for the role.
Can I work for multiple clients or on a project basis with an H-1B1 Chile visa as an ML Engineer?
The H-1B1 visa is employer-specific and tied to the petitioning company named on the LCA. Consulting arrangements where you bill multiple clients or work on-site at third-party locations raise compliance questions under DOL rules. If your role involves client-facing deployment of ML models, your employer's LCA must accurately reflect the actual worksite locations, and USCIS guidance on third-party placements applies to the underlying specialty occupation determination.