J-1 Visa Machine Learning Scientist Jobs
Machine Learning Scientist roles in the United States are accessible to international researchers and professionals through J-1 visa sponsorship, most commonly under the Research Scholar or Trainee program category. Designated sponsors issue the DS-2019, while your host institution or company provides the research environment and training plan.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Machine Learning Scientist Intern (TikTok-Recommendation) - 2026 Start (PhD)
Location:
San Jose
Employment Type:
Intern
Job Code:
A12001
Responsibilities
About the Team
Recommendation algorithm team plays a central role in the company, driving critical product decisions and platform growth. The team is made up of machine learning researchers and engineers, who support and innovate on production recommendation models and drive product impact. The team is fast-pacing, collaborative and impact-driven.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. PhD Internships at our Company aim to provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies. Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and development events, and collaboration with industry experts.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:
- Drive the development of industry-leading recommendation systems that elevate user experience, strengthen platform safety, and empower a vibrant content ecosystem.
- Deliver impactful, end-to-end machine learning solutions that tackle high-priority product challenges related to content understanding, LLMs, robustness, and fairness.
- Own and optimize the full-stack ML pipeline—from algorithm design to system infrastructure—to continuously push the boundaries of recommendation performance.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to craft innovative product strategies and develop intelligent solutions that fuel TikTok’s growth in key global markets.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently pursuing a PhD with a background in computer science, machine learning, or similar fields;
- Good knowledge of theoretical and empirical research in addressing research problems;
- Solid knowledge and experience with at least one popular deep learning framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and familiarity with deep neural network architectures.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Research experience in one or more of the following fields: applied machine learning, machine learning infrastructure, large-scale recommendation system, market-facing machine learning product;
- Strong first-author publications record in accredited AI conferences or journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, NAACL etc.);
- Proficient in C/C++, Python, and shell programming languages, and have a deep understanding of data structure and algorithm design;
- Internship experience in an AI research organization.
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60 - $60.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at
https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
INTRODUCTION
Machine Learning Scientist Intern (TikTok-Recommendation) - 2026 Start (PhD)
Location:
San Jose
Employment Type:
Intern
Job Code:
A12001
Responsibilities
About the Team
Recommendation algorithm team plays a central role in the company, driving critical product decisions and platform growth. The team is made up of machine learning researchers and engineers, who support and innovate on production recommendation models and drive product impact. The team is fast-pacing, collaborative and impact-driven.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. PhD Internships at our Company aim to provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies. Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and development events, and collaboration with industry experts.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:
- Drive the development of industry-leading recommendation systems that elevate user experience, strengthen platform safety, and empower a vibrant content ecosystem.
- Deliver impactful, end-to-end machine learning solutions that tackle high-priority product challenges related to content understanding, LLMs, robustness, and fairness.
- Own and optimize the full-stack ML pipeline—from algorithm design to system infrastructure—to continuously push the boundaries of recommendation performance.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to craft innovative product strategies and develop intelligent solutions that fuel TikTok’s growth in key global markets.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently pursuing a PhD with a background in computer science, machine learning, or similar fields;
- Good knowledge of theoretical and empirical research in addressing research problems;
- Solid knowledge and experience with at least one popular deep learning framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and familiarity with deep neural network architectures.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Research experience in one or more of the following fields: applied machine learning, machine learning infrastructure, large-scale recommendation system, market-facing machine learning product;
- Strong first-author publications record in accredited AI conferences or journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, NAACL etc.);
- Proficient in C/C++, Python, and shell programming languages, and have a deep understanding of data structure and algorithm design;
- Internship experience in an AI research organization.
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60 - $60.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at
https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
See all 27+ Machine Learning Scientist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Machine Learning Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Machine Learning Scientist
Align your CV to specialty occupation standards
Research Scholar and Trainee DS-2019 applications require documented evidence of your academic credentials and research focus. Structure your CV around peer-reviewed publications, model architectures, and dataset contributions rather than general software skills.
Distinguish Research Scholar from Trainee eligibility
Research Scholar status fits postdoctoral researchers and faculty-level scientists at accredited institutions. Trainee status suits early-career professionals outside academia. Applying under the wrong category triggers DS-2019 refusal, so confirm your employment history matches the program definition before your host submits paperwork.
Flag the two-year home residency requirement early
Machine Learning Scientists funded by a government or international organization, or from a country on the Exchange Visitor Skills List, may face the two-year home residency requirement under INA 212(e). Confirm your funding source and nationality status before accepting an offer, since this requirement blocks H-1B and green card transitions until fulfilled or waived.
Target host organizations with active DS-2019 pipelines
Use Migrate Mate to identify U.S. employers and research institutions already hosting J-1 exchange visitors in machine learning and AI roles. A host with an established relationship with a designated sponsor moves your DS-2019 process faster than one filing for the first time.
Require a signed Training Plan before your interview
Consular officers and designated sponsors both review the J-1 Training Plan, which must detail specific machine learning methodologies, tools, and learning objectives by phase. Vague plans citing only 'AI research' are routinely rejected. Your host employer writes the plan, but you should review it against your actual role before submission.
Negotiate program duration against your research timeline
Research Scholar J-1 status is granted for the duration of the exchange program, capped by the host's DS-2019 dates. If your machine learning project has a defined deliverable, negotiate a program end date that clears peer review or publication deadlines, since extensions require a new DS-2019 and designated sponsor approval.
Machine Learning Scientist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Machine Learning Scientist JobsMachine Learning Scientist J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Machine Learning Scientist role?
The category depends on your career stage and work setting. Postdoctoral researchers and faculty-level scientists conducting independent research at universities or research institutes typically qualify as Research Scholars. Professionals employed at private-sector AI labs or tech companies, usually within five years of their qualifying degree, qualify as Trainees. Students completing a degree-related practical assignment may qualify under the Intern category instead.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a Machine Learning Scientist?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated exchange visitor program sponsor, not your employer. Organizations like IIE, CIEE, and Cultural Vistas issue the DS-2019 form and carry legal responsibility for program compliance. Your employer is the host organization, providing the lab environment and signing the Training Plan, but it does not hold sponsorship authority unless it is itself a designated sponsor.
How do I find U.S. employers open to hosting J-1 Machine Learning Scientists?
Most job boards don't filter by J-1 host eligibility, which makes identifying willing employers time-consuming. Migrate Mate lets you search specifically for U.S. roles and employers that align with J-1 sponsorship in technical fields, so you can focus outreach on organizations already familiar with the DS-2019 process rather than cold-educating hiring managers from scratch.
Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to machine learning roles?
It can, depending on your funding source and country of origin. If your exchange is funded by your home government, the U.S. government, or an international organization, or if your nationality appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills List under a relevant field like computing or engineering, INA 212(e) applies. This blocks you from changing to H-1B or adjusting status until the requirement is fulfilled or formally waived.
What should the J-1 Training Plan include for a Machine Learning Scientist?
The Training Plan must go beyond a general job description. It needs to specify the machine learning frameworks you'll work with, the research objectives broken into phases, measurable learning outcomes, and how each phase builds technical competency. Designated sponsors and consular officers reject plans that read as regular employment contracts rather than structured exchange programs. Your host drafts the plan, but reviewing it for specificity before submission protects your application.
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