ML Research Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
ML Research Engineer roles attract strong H-1B visa sponsorship from AI labs, large tech companies, and research-focused startups. A master's or PhD in computer science or a related field is standard, and employers regularly sponsor both new graduates and experienced researchers. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
Find ML Research Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 18,432+ ML Research Engineer jobs
See all 18,432+ ML Research Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new ML Research Engineer roles.
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 18,432+ ML Research Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new ML Research Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a ML Research Engineer
Target employers with established research divisions
AI labs and large tech companies with dedicated research teams sponsor H-1B petitions far more consistently than startups without legal infrastructure. Look for organizations with a track record of LCA filings under ML-related job titles.
Lead with publications and research output
Sponsoring employers want evidence of original contribution. A strong publication record at NeurIPS, ICML, or ICLR signals exactly the kind of specialized expertise USCIS expects to see supporting an H-1B specialty occupation claim.
Understand how your degree field maps to the role
USCIS requires a direct relationship between your degree field and the position. Computer science, electrical engineering, statistics, and applied mathematics are the most defensible degree fields for ML Research Engineer sponsorship petitions.
PhD candidates have a meaningful advantage at research-focused employers
Many AI labs require a doctorate for research-track roles. A PhD also strengthens the specialty occupation argument in an H-1B petition and can support an EB-1A or EB-2 NIW green card filing later.
Ask about premium processing during your offer negotiation
USCIS premium processing reduces the H-1B petition review window to 15 business days. Research-focused employers routinely pay this fee, and it is a reasonable expectation to raise during the offer discussion stage.
Know your OPT and STEM OPT timeline before accepting an offer
STEM OPT gives you 36 months of post-graduation work authorization. Aligning your H-1B filing with the April cap season during that window ensures continuous work authorization without any gap in employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ML Research Engineer roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations?
Yes. ML Research Engineering consistently qualifies as a specialty occupation because the role requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific technical field, such as computer science, statistics, or electrical engineering. Employers at AI labs and major tech companies have a strong track record of approved H-1B visa petitions for this title, and the position's theoretical depth reinforces the specialty occupation argument.
Is a PhD required to get H-1B sponsorship as an ML Research Engineer?
Not always, but it depends heavily on the employer and the seniority of the role. Research-track positions at dedicated AI labs frequently require a PhD as a minimum qualification, which actually strengthens the specialty occupation case for H-1B purposes. Applied or production-focused ML Research Engineer roles at larger tech companies may sponsor candidates with a strong master's degree and relevant publications or industry experience.
How does the H-1B lottery affect ML Research Engineers specifically?
ML Research Engineers face the same general-category lottery odds as most other H-1B applicants, with a selection rate around 25% in recent years. However, researchers with a U.S. master's or PhD from a U.S. institution enter the advanced degree pool first, which has historically offered slightly better odds. Employers at universities and nonprofit research institutions are cap-exempt, meaning those roles bypass the lottery entirely.
Can an ML Research Engineer self-petition for a green card without employer sponsorship?
Yes, the EB-2 National Interest Waiver is the most viable self-petition path for ML researchers. USCIS has granted NIW approval to researchers demonstrating that their work has national importance and that they are well-positioned to advance it. A strong publication record, citations, and evidence of impact on the field significantly improve approval odds. Some exceptional researchers also qualify for the EB-1A extraordinary ability category.
Where can I find ML Research Engineer jobs that offer visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international candidates and filters for roles where employers are open to sponsoring work visas. Browsing ML Research Engineer listings on Migrate Mate lets you focus on employers with verified sponsorship histories rather than sorting through postings that exclude international applicants. It is the most direct way to find research roles aligned with your visa situation.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored ML Research Engineer 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.