Research Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California

California leads the U.S. in research engineer hiring, with major employers including Google, Meta, Apple, NVIDIA, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concentrated in the Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Companies here routinely sponsor H-1B and O-1 visas for research roles across AI, semiconductors, biotech, and climate technology.

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Overview

Open Jobs1,076+
Top Visa TypeH-1B
Work Type77% On-site
Salary Range$151K – $776K
Top LocationSan Francisco, CA
Most JobsLam Research

Showing 5 of 1,076+ Research Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship jobs

Meta
AI Research Engineer
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Meta
New 6h ago
AI Research Engineer
Meta
Menlo Park, California
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Data Engineering
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
$219,000/yr - $301,000/yr
On-Site
5+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Apple
Biomedical Research Engineer
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Apple
Added 3d ago
Biomedical Research Engineer
Apple
Cupertino, California
Specialized Engineering
Laboratory Research
Healthcare Administration
Biomedical Engineering
$147,400/yr - $272,100/yr
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Toyota Research Institute
Senior Research Engineer
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Toyota Research Institute
Added 3d ago
Senior Research Engineer
Toyota Research Institute
Los Altos, California
Specialized Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
$180,000/yr - $258,750/yr
On-Site
2+ yrs exp.
Master's
51-200

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TikTok
Sr. Research Engineer/Scientist
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TikTok
Added 4d ago
Sr. Research Engineer/Scientist
TikTok
San Jose, California
Research & Academia
Laboratory Research
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Data Science
$244,800/yr - $588,000/yr
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Master's
10,000+

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Canva Us, Inc.
Staff Research Engineer - Generative Video
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Canva Us, Inc.
Added 5d ago
Staff Research Engineer - Generative Video
Canva Us, Inc.
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Cloud & DevOps
$270,000/yr - $310,000/yr
Hybrid
Associate's

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See all 1,076+ Research Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship

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Research Engineer Job Roles in California

Software Engineering776 jobs
Data Science692 jobs
Data Science & Analytics678 jobs
AI (Artificial Intelligence)385 jobs
Specialized Engineering277 jobs
ML (Machine Learning)230 jobs
Engineering (Non-Software)182 jobs
Laboratory Research176 jobs
Research & Academia165 jobs
Data Engineering146 jobs

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Research Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies in California sponsor visas for research engineers?

Large technology companies such as Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and NVIDIA are among the most active sponsors for research engineers in California. National laboratories including Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories also sponsor research engineers, as do biotech firms like Genentech and Illumina in the San Diego and San Francisco Bay Area corridors. Sponsorship frequency is generally higher at companies with dedicated research divisions.

What visa types are most common for research engineer roles in California?

The H-1B is the most common visa for research engineer positions in California, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as computer science, electrical engineering, or materials science. Researchers with exceptional recognition may qualify for the O-1A. Those with advanced degrees pursuing work in the national interest sometimes pursue EB-2 NIW petitions through their employers.

Which California cities have the most research engineer visa sponsorship jobs?

The San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and Palo Alto, has the highest concentration of research engineer sponsorship roles in California due to the density of major tech campuses and research labs. San Diego is a strong secondary market, particularly for biotech and defense-related research. Los Angeles has growing opportunities in AI, aerospace research, and university-affiliated labs at UCLA and USC.

How to find research engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?

Migrate Mate filters research engineer jobs in California specifically by visa sponsorship availability, saving you from applying to roles that won't support international candidates. The platform surfaces positions from employers with documented sponsorship history in this role category. Searching by state and role on Migrate Mate helps you focus on California-based research engineering openings where H-1B or O-1 sponsorship is a realistic part of the hiring process.

Are there state-specific factors research engineers should know about sponsorship in California?

California's prevailing wage requirements under Department of Labor rules apply to H-1B positions statewide, and wages in the Bay Area and San Diego markets are among the highest in any U.S. metropolitan area, which affects the LCA wage level your employer must certify. Many California research engineer roles are affiliated with UC system or Stanford research pipelines, meaning candidates transitioning from OPT or CPT are a common hiring profile at these employers.

What is the prevailing wage for sponsored research engineer jobs in California?

U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.

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