Machine Learning Research Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Machine learning research roles attract strong H-1B visa sponsorship from tech companies, national labs, and AI-focused startups. Most positions require a master's or PhD in computer science or a related field, and employers regularly sponsor both H-1B and O-1A visas for qualified researchers. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsOur team is working toward a future where our devices are aware of us and our environment, they directly support our health and wellbeing, and they nudge us to be more thoughtful, present, and inspired human beings. We believe there is huge opportunity to improve lives and the world by understanding people, our activities, connections, and the environments we live in using sensing and machine learning on our devices.
Our team works with cross-functional partners across Apple to create high-impact features and new ways to interact on Apple Watch, home products, and new hardware. We prototype new experiences, develop and ship products, and publish our work. We are a creative, multi-disciplinary, optimistic, and collaborative team.
Come join us and build the future!
Description
The team you will join is responsible for creating the technologies that power new, innovative product features for Apple Watch, like DoubleTap, AssistiveTouch, Handwashing, and Raise to Speak. We are highly collaborative and partner with a variety of research and product teams across Apple to explore novel experiences and ship features.
We are looking for a versatile Machine Learning Software Engineer who is passionate about developing innovative, ML-driven product features that push the boundaries of sensing and human-computer interaction, and who can work across disciplines - from training advanced models to rapid on-device prototyping and full-scale productization.
Responsibilities
In this hybrid role, you’ll collaborate closely with designers, ML engineers, and software experts to transform ambitious, loosely defined ideas into next-generation sensing experiences that reach millions of Apple Watch users worldwide. Your responsibilities will include:
- Design, implement, and ship new ML-powered features on watchOS.
- Integrate and deploy ML models on-device, building Swift or Objective-C frameworks that encapsulate models, interface with sensors, and communicate with UX layers.
- Profile and optimize code for the performance and power constraints unique to Apple Watch.
- Develop and optimize ML algorithms leveraging multimodal sensor data - like motion and audio - to detect user activities and contextual situations that enhance our understanding of real-world behavior.
- Design and implement tools, analytics, and processes to perform in-depth, hands-on analysis for validating and quantifying algorithm performance both offline and on-device.
- Drive innovation from concept to deployment, ensuring promising research ideas evolve into high-impact, user-facing features.
Minimum Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field.
- Proficiency with Swift or Objective-C and developing on Apple platforms.
- Experience using Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow for predictive modeling.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with ability to work independently or in small teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience optimizing and profiling applications for performance and power consumption.
- Ability to work within the full ML development cycle: data collection, model training and optimization, defining metrics, evaluation, performing failure analysis, and model deployment to resource constrained devices.
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $142,300 and $263,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.
Our team is working toward a future where our devices are aware of us and our environment, they directly support our health and wellbeing, and they nudge us to be more thoughtful, present, and inspired human beings. We believe there is huge opportunity to improve lives and the world by understanding people, our activities, connections, and the environments we live in using sensing and machine learning on our devices.
Our team works with cross-functional partners across Apple to create high-impact features and new ways to interact on Apple Watch, home products, and new hardware. We prototype new experiences, develop and ship products, and publish our work. We are a creative, multi-disciplinary, optimistic, and collaborative team.
Come join us and build the future!
Description
The team you will join is responsible for creating the technologies that power new, innovative product features for Apple Watch, like DoubleTap, AssistiveTouch, Handwashing, and Raise to Speak. We are highly collaborative and partner with a variety of research and product teams across Apple to explore novel experiences and ship features.
We are looking for a versatile Machine Learning Software Engineer who is passionate about developing innovative, ML-driven product features that push the boundaries of sensing and human-computer interaction, and who can work across disciplines - from training advanced models to rapid on-device prototyping and full-scale productization.
Responsibilities
In this hybrid role, you’ll collaborate closely with designers, ML engineers, and software experts to transform ambitious, loosely defined ideas into next-generation sensing experiences that reach millions of Apple Watch users worldwide. Your responsibilities will include:
- Design, implement, and ship new ML-powered features on watchOS.
- Integrate and deploy ML models on-device, building Swift or Objective-C frameworks that encapsulate models, interface with sensors, and communicate with UX layers.
- Profile and optimize code for the performance and power constraints unique to Apple Watch.
- Develop and optimize ML algorithms leveraging multimodal sensor data - like motion and audio - to detect user activities and contextual situations that enhance our understanding of real-world behavior.
- Design and implement tools, analytics, and processes to perform in-depth, hands-on analysis for validating and quantifying algorithm performance both offline and on-device.
- Drive innovation from concept to deployment, ensuring promising research ideas evolve into high-impact, user-facing features.
Minimum Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field.
- Proficiency with Swift or Objective-C and developing on Apple platforms.
- Experience using Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow for predictive modeling.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with ability to work independently or in small teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience optimizing and profiling applications for performance and power consumption.
- Ability to work within the full ML development cycle: data collection, model training and optimization, defining metrics, evaluation, performing failure analysis, and model deployment to resource constrained devices.
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $142,300 and $263,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.
See all 5,456+ Machine Learning Research Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Machine Learning Research roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Machine Learning Research Jobs
Target employers with a research division, not just an ML team
Companies like Google DeepMind, Microsoft Research, and Meta FAIR file LCAs specifically for research scientist roles. These divisions have established sponsorship pipelines and dedicated immigration counsel, making the process faster and more predictable than smaller engineering teams.
A PhD significantly strengthens your H-1B specialty occupation case
USCIS scrutinizes whether machine learning research qualifies as a specialty occupation. A doctoral degree in computer science, statistics, or a related field removes most of that ambiguity and supports a cleaner petition, especially for research-focused roles without a product deliverable.
Published research and citations are O-1A evidence, not just resume polish
If you have peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations at NeurIPS or ICML, or high citation counts, document them carefully. These directly support O-1A criteria for original contributions and judging, giving you an alternative if H-1B lottery selection doesn't go your way.
National labs and universities sponsor without the H-1B lottery
Institutions like MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and most research universities are cap-exempt H-1B employers. That means no lottery wait and year-round filing, which matters if you're on OPT with a ticking clock or between visa statuses.
Clarify whether the role is research or applied engineering before applying
Employers sometimes list "machine learning research" roles that are effectively product engineering positions. The distinction matters for visa framing. A role requiring original research and publication supports a stronger petition than one focused primarily on model deployment and infrastructure.
OPT STEM extension gives you 36 months to secure H-1B sponsorship
Machine learning research falls under CIP codes eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Combined with initial OPT, that's up to 36 months of work authorization, giving you three H-1B lottery cycles to find a sponsoring employer before needing another visa pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do machine learning research roles commonly get H-1B sponsorship?
Yes. Machine learning research is among the most actively sponsored role categories in the H-1B visa program. Tech companies, AI startups, and research institutions file thousands of LCAs annually for these positions. The role's clear degree requirement in computer science, statistics, or a related field satisfies USCIS specialty occupation standards reliably, making denials on that basis relatively uncommon for genuine research positions. Browse open roles on Migrate Mate to find employers with active sponsorship histories.
Does my degree field need to match machine learning research specifically?
Not exactly, but it needs to be directly related. A bachelor's or advanced degree in computer science, electrical engineering, statistics, applied mathematics, or data science typically satisfies the H-1B specialty occupation requirement for ML research roles. A degree in an unrelated field, even with significant self-taught ML skills, creates petition risk. USCIS looks for a direct relationship between the field of study and the duties of the role.
Is the O-1A visa a realistic option for machine learning researchers?
For researchers with a strong publication record, it can be. The O-1A requires evidence of extraordinary ability, which for ML researchers typically means peer-reviewed publications at top venues like NeurIPS, ICML, or ICLR, high citation counts, peer review service, or awards in the field. Meeting three of the eight O-1A criteria is the threshold. Researchers early in their career may not yet meet it, but mid-career researchers with a meaningful publication history often do.
What happens to my visa sponsorship if my research project ends or the company pivots?
Your H-1B status is tied to your employer, not your project. If the company terminates your role, your employer is legally required to pay for your return transportation home, and you enter a 60-day grace period to find a new sponsor, change status, or depart. If you move to a new employer, they must file an H-1B transfer petition, which allows you to start work upon receipt. Keeping your job search proactive before any project ends reduces the risk of a gap.
Can I switch from a research role to an applied ML engineering role on the same H-1B?
Only if the new role is within the same specialty occupation category and the material change rules are followed. A significant change in job duties, location, or employer requires an amended H-1B petition before you make the switch. Moving from pure research to product-focused ML engineering may or may not constitute a material change depending on how different the duties are. Your employer's immigration counsel should evaluate the specific role change before you transition.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Machine Learning Research 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.