Applied Scientist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Applied Scientists combine advanced research with practical implementation, making them strong candidates for H-1B visa and O-1 visa sponsorship. The role typically requires a PhD in computer science, machine learning, statistics, or related field, which easily satisfies specialty occupation requirements. Major tech companies regularly sponsor Applied Scientists, with approval rates generally high due to clear degree-to-role alignment.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Upstart
At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.
As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.
We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.
If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.
The Role
As an Applied Scientist Intern, you will become a specialist in our models, products, business and/or codebase. You will identify potential problems or opportunities for improvement, communicate these to the team and suggest solutions. This involves self-directed investigation, offline analyses using creative thinking as well as presentation to the ML team. You will receive mentorship from experienced ML practitioners and collaborate closely with the team to improve our products and models.
How you’ll make an impact
- Research machine learning and statistical approaches to discover improvements to the predictive performance and/or business value of a model.
- Design, implement, and evaluate model, product, or technical enhancements using rigorous experimentation and validation methods.
- Translate research findings into clear recommendations, documented methodologies, and production-ready solutions.
- Work with your mentor to align stakeholders, and drive next steps.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor, Masters or PHD degree in mathematics, statistics, physics, econometrics, computer science, or a related quantitative field. On track to graduate by 2028.
- Strong fundamentals in statistical, probability, and machine learning theory.
- Ability to perform data analysis and evaluate machine learning or statistical models using Python, as well as basic SQL foundations.
- Intellectual curiosity, humility, drive and teamwork.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to use modern agentic tooling (Claude Code, Codex, …) efficiently.
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in mathematics, statistics, physics, econometrics, computer science, or a related quantitative field. On track to graduate by the summer of 2028.
- Experience in supervised learning, model evaluation, and feature engineering techniques.
- Advanced statistical (frequentist, bayesian, causal) theory/econometrics knowledge.
- Strong coding skills in Python.
Position location This role is Fully Remote
Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. To this end, over the course of the internship, you will meet to collaborate once or twice, for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.
What you'll love:
- UHC High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) for comprehensive medical coverage
- Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer funding of $800 for employee-only coverage or $1,600 when covering dependents
- Medical opt-out credit of $150 per month if the health plan is waived
- Guardian Dental
- Guardian Vision Base
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage; auto-enrolled
- Basic Life and Accident Insurance; auto-enrolled
- Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (LFSA)
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA)
- Pre-tax commuter benefits
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range
$141,000—$150,000 USD
What you'll love
At Upstart, our benefits are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
- Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
- Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada.
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
- Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
- Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
- Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
- Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service (US Only)
- Annual wellness allowance to support your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, based on what matters most to you
- Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources you need to do your best work, no matter where you work from
- Connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City
For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.
Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email candidate_accommodations@upstart.com
About Upstart
At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.
As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.
We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.
If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.
The Role
As an Applied Scientist Intern, you will become a specialist in our models, products, business and/or codebase. You will identify potential problems or opportunities for improvement, communicate these to the team and suggest solutions. This involves self-directed investigation, offline analyses using creative thinking as well as presentation to the ML team. You will receive mentorship from experienced ML practitioners and collaborate closely with the team to improve our products and models.
How you’ll make an impact
- Research machine learning and statistical approaches to discover improvements to the predictive performance and/or business value of a model.
- Design, implement, and evaluate model, product, or technical enhancements using rigorous experimentation and validation methods.
- Translate research findings into clear recommendations, documented methodologies, and production-ready solutions.
- Work with your mentor to align stakeholders, and drive next steps.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor, Masters or PHD degree in mathematics, statistics, physics, econometrics, computer science, or a related quantitative field. On track to graduate by 2028.
- Strong fundamentals in statistical, probability, and machine learning theory.
- Ability to perform data analysis and evaluate machine learning or statistical models using Python, as well as basic SQL foundations.
- Intellectual curiosity, humility, drive and teamwork.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to use modern agentic tooling (Claude Code, Codex, …) efficiently.
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in mathematics, statistics, physics, econometrics, computer science, or a related quantitative field. On track to graduate by the summer of 2028.
- Experience in supervised learning, model evaluation, and feature engineering techniques.
- Advanced statistical (frequentist, bayesian, causal) theory/econometrics knowledge.
- Strong coding skills in Python.
Position location This role is Fully Remote
Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. To this end, over the course of the internship, you will meet to collaborate once or twice, for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.
What you'll love:
- UHC High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) for comprehensive medical coverage
- Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer funding of $800 for employee-only coverage or $1,600 when covering dependents
- Medical opt-out credit of $150 per month if the health plan is waived
- Guardian Dental
- Guardian Vision Base
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage; auto-enrolled
- Basic Life and Accident Insurance; auto-enrolled
- Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (LFSA)
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA)
- Pre-tax commuter benefits
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range
$141,000—$150,000 USD
What you'll love
At Upstart, our benefits are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
- Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
- Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada.
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
- Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
- Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
- Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
- Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service (US Only)
- Annual wellness allowance to support your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, based on what matters most to you
- Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources you need to do your best work, no matter where you work from
- Connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City
For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.
Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email candidate_accommodations@upstart.com
See all 1,246+ Applied Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Applied Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as an Applied Scientist
Emphasize your PhD and research publications
Applied Scientist roles strongly favor PhD holders. Highlight your dissertation research, peer-reviewed publications, and conference presentations to demonstrate the advanced knowledge that justifies H-1B specialty occupation requirements.
Target companies with established ML research divisions
Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta regularly sponsor Applied Scientists. These companies understand the role's requirements and have streamlined visa processes for research-focused positions with clear business applications.
Document your track record of research-to-product translation
Applied Scientists bridge research and implementation. Showcase projects where your research led to deployed systems, improved algorithms, or measurable business impact to strengthen your visa petition.
Consider the O-1 visa if you have exceptional research credentials
If you have significant publications, citations, conference awards, or recognition in AI/ML research, the O-1 extraordinary ability visa offers advantages over H-1B including no lottery and faster processing.
Prepare for technical interviews that demonstrate specialized knowledge
Visa interviews may include questions about your research methodology and how it applies to the role. Be ready to explain complex algorithms and statistical methods in accessible terms.
Highlight interdisciplinary expertise in your petition
Applied Scientists often work across domains like computer vision, NLP, or robotics. Document how your cross-disciplinary knowledge creates unique value that requires specialized H-1B talent rather than general programmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need for Applied Scientist H-1B sponsorship?
Most Applied Scientist positions require a PhD in computer science, machine learning, statistics, mathematics, or closely related field. Some roles accept a Master's with extensive research experience, but PhD holders have significantly stronger H-1B visa petitions due to the advanced specialization required for research-to-product development.
Which companies sponsor Applied Scientists for visas?
Major tech companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Netflix regularly sponsor Applied Scientists. Research-focused startups and companies in autonomous vehicles, healthcare AI, and fintech also sponsor, though they may have less experience with the visa process than established tech giants.
How do Applied Scientist H-1B approval rates compare to other roles?
Applied Scientist positions generally have high H-1B approval rates due to clear specialty occupation requirements. The PhD requirement and specialized research knowledge make it easy to demonstrate that the role requires theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge in computer science or mathematics.
How to find Applied Scientist jobs with visa sponsorship?
To find Applied Scientist positions with visa sponsorship, use Migrate Mate, which specializes in connecting international talent with sponsoring employers. Focus on tech companies, research institutions, and AI startups that commonly hire Applied Scientists on H-1B, O-1 visa, or EB-2 visas. These roles are in high demand at companies developing machine learning, data science, and research products.
Can I get sponsored as an Applied Scientist with only industry experience?
While possible, it's challenging without advanced degrees. USCIS typically expects Applied Scientists to have PhD-level research training. If you only have industry experience, you'd need to demonstrate extraordinary depth in machine learning research, publications, or patents that substitute for formal academic credentials.
Should I apply for O-1 instead of H-1B as an Applied Scientist?
Consider O-1 if you have exceptional research credentials like high-impact publications, significant citations, conference awards, or recognition as a leading researcher in AI/ML. O-1 has no lottery, faster processing, and allows more flexibility, but requires demonstrating extraordinary ability rather than just specialty occupation requirements.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Applied Scientist jobs?
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.