Senior Motion Designer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Senior Motion Designers are strong H-1B visa and O-1A visa candidates when their role requires a specialized degree in motion design, animation, or a related field. Employers in advertising, tech, and streaming regularly sponsor, making this one of the more accessible creative roles for visa sponsorship. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Ready to grow as a motion designer? Join our team at Kimley-Horn, one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and help our corporate Communications team create motion graphics, animation, and video content that highlight the people, projects, and innovations shaping communities.
In this role, you’ll focus primarily on motion design and animation, helping develop visual assets for internal initiatives and external client requests. You’ll collaborate with producers, directors, designers, and project teams to turn ideas, scripts, and storyboards into polished, engaging visual stories while gaining hands-on experience in a professional communications environment.
You’ll have a supervisor guiding you every step of the way, offering mentorship and feedback as you build your motion design skills, strengthen your creative judgment, and learn how visual storytelling supports communications across the firm.
This position is based in Raleigh, NC, with flexibility for remote work during the academic year; candidates should be available to work in office when school schedules allow such as during summer break. This internship is expected to average approximately 10–25 hours per week during the academic year, with scheduling flexibility based on class schedules and project needs.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with motion graphics, animation, post-production, quality review, and final deliverables.
- Design and animate clear, engaging graphics for videos, presentations, social media, internal communications, and client-facing projects.
- Translate scripts, outlines, creative briefs, and storyboards into motion concepts that support project goals and audience needs.
- Organize project files, manage media assets, and support efficient motion design and editing workflows.
- Incorporate feedback from stakeholders, designers, and supervisors during review cycles.
- Review work for polish, accuracy, brand alignment, timing, typography, captions, audio levels, and export settings.
- Collaborate across departments to understand project goals and help shape clear, engaging visual stories.
- Attend project meetings and contribute ideas that support storytelling, pacing, visual clarity, and audience engagement.
- Maintain a positive, curious attitude and a willingness to learn.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience creating motion graphics or animation in Adobe After Effects.
- Strong design fundamentals, including typography, layout, color, timing, and composition.
- Experience developing visual assets or illustrations with Illustrator, Photoshop, or other creative software.
- Ability to follow creative direction, apply feedback, and revise work with attention to detail.
- Strong organization and file-management skills, including the ability to keep media assets and project files clearly structured.
- Comfort working with multidisciplinary teams and communicating clearly across projects.
- Creative problem-solving, adaptability, and willingness to learn new tools and workflows.
- Time-management abilities and reliability when working across multiple projects.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience or interest in 3D modeling, texturing, or animation.
- Experience with InDesign, Adobe Audition, or other creative software.
- Familiarity with Adobe Premiere Pro and basic video editing workflows.
- Interest in character animation, kinetic typography, visual effects, compositing, or data visualization.
- Basic knowledge of color correction, audio cleanup, and preparing polished video deliverables.
- Familiarity with video production equipment, including cameras, lighting, or audio.
- Experience creating social media animations or short-form video content.
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients and employees, are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
INTRODUCTION
Ready to grow as a motion designer? Join our team at Kimley-Horn, one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and help our corporate Communications team create motion graphics, animation, and video content that highlight the people, projects, and innovations shaping communities.
In this role, you’ll focus primarily on motion design and animation, helping develop visual assets for internal initiatives and external client requests. You’ll collaborate with producers, directors, designers, and project teams to turn ideas, scripts, and storyboards into polished, engaging visual stories while gaining hands-on experience in a professional communications environment.
You’ll have a supervisor guiding you every step of the way, offering mentorship and feedback as you build your motion design skills, strengthen your creative judgment, and learn how visual storytelling supports communications across the firm.
This position is based in Raleigh, NC, with flexibility for remote work during the academic year; candidates should be available to work in office when school schedules allow such as during summer break. This internship is expected to average approximately 10–25 hours per week during the academic year, with scheduling flexibility based on class schedules and project needs.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with motion graphics, animation, post-production, quality review, and final deliverables.
- Design and animate clear, engaging graphics for videos, presentations, social media, internal communications, and client-facing projects.
- Translate scripts, outlines, creative briefs, and storyboards into motion concepts that support project goals and audience needs.
- Organize project files, manage media assets, and support efficient motion design and editing workflows.
- Incorporate feedback from stakeholders, designers, and supervisors during review cycles.
- Review work for polish, accuracy, brand alignment, timing, typography, captions, audio levels, and export settings.
- Collaborate across departments to understand project goals and help shape clear, engaging visual stories.
- Attend project meetings and contribute ideas that support storytelling, pacing, visual clarity, and audience engagement.
- Maintain a positive, curious attitude and a willingness to learn.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience creating motion graphics or animation in Adobe After Effects.
- Strong design fundamentals, including typography, layout, color, timing, and composition.
- Experience developing visual assets or illustrations with Illustrator, Photoshop, or other creative software.
- Ability to follow creative direction, apply feedback, and revise work with attention to detail.
- Strong organization and file-management skills, including the ability to keep media assets and project files clearly structured.
- Comfort working with multidisciplinary teams and communicating clearly across projects.
- Creative problem-solving, adaptability, and willingness to learn new tools and workflows.
- Time-management abilities and reliability when working across multiple projects.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience or interest in 3D modeling, texturing, or animation.
- Experience with InDesign, Adobe Audition, or other creative software.
- Familiarity with Adobe Premiere Pro and basic video editing workflows.
- Interest in character animation, kinetic typography, visual effects, compositing, or data visualization.
- Basic knowledge of color correction, audio cleanup, and preparing polished video deliverables.
- Familiarity with video production equipment, including cameras, lighting, or audio.
- Experience creating social media animations or short-form video content.
WHY KIMLEY-HORN?
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients and employees, are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it—that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
See all 126+ Senior Motion Designer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Senior Motion Designer
Frame your role as a specialty occupation
H-1B approval depends on proving your position requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Motion design, animation, or graphic design degrees strengthen your case significantly. Avoid job descriptions that accept any creative background without a degree requirement.
Target industries with consistent sponsorship history
Tech companies, streaming platforms, advertising agencies, and game studios sponsor Senior Motion Designers most consistently. These employers have established immigration processes and are accustomed to filing H-1B petitions for creative roles with specialized degree requirements.
Build a portfolio that signals specialization, not versatility
Consular officers and USCIS reviewers respond to evidence of a defined specialty. A portfolio focused on a specific domain, such as UI animation, broadcast design, or 3D motion, supports the specialty occupation argument better than one showing broad general creativity.
Understand the H-1B lottery timeline before applying
H-1B registration opens in March for an October start date. If you are not selected, cap-exempt employers such as universities and nonprofits can file outside the lottery. Plan your job search timeline around registration windows to avoid gaps in work authorization.
Explore the O-1A if your work has earned industry recognition
Senior Motion Designers with award credits, festival selections, high-profile campaign work, or published features in design media may qualify for the O-1A extraordinary ability visa. This bypasses the H-1B lottery entirely and has no annual cap on available visas.
Get your degree equivalency documented early
If you hold a three-year degree or studied outside the U.S., obtain a credential evaluation from a recognized service before applying. Many employers request this documentation upfront, and USCIS may require it to establish that your education meets specialty occupation standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Motion Designer role qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, Senior Motion Designer positions generally qualify as specialty occupations when the employer requires a bachelor's degree or higher in motion design, animation, film, or a closely related field. The key is that the degree requirement must be specific to the role, not a general preference. Employers who list any creative degree as acceptable risk a USCIS challenge to the specialty occupation classification.
What visa options exist for Senior Motion Designers who miss the H-1B lottery?
If you are not selected in the H-1B lottery, three alternatives are worth evaluating. Cap-exempt employers, including universities, nonprofits, and certain research institutions, can sponsor H-1B visa petitions year-round without lottery participation. The O-1A visa is available to designers with demonstrable industry recognition, such as awards, published work, or high-profile campaign credits. Australian citizens should also consider the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and a separate annual allocation. Browse sponsoring employers across all these visa types on Migrate Mate.
Does my motion design degree need to be from a U.S. university?
No. USCIS accepts foreign degrees, but they must be evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree by a credential evaluation service. A three-year degree from Australia, the UK, or Canada may qualify depending on the program and evaluator's assessment. Get this documentation in hand before your employer files the H-1B petition, as it is commonly requested during adjudication.
How likely is it that a Senior Motion Designer H-1B petition gets approved?
Approval rates for creative roles like motion design have historically been lower than for STEM occupations, primarily because USCIS scrutinizes whether the position genuinely requires a specific degree rather than general creative skills. A well-drafted specialty occupation argument supported by the job description, industry standards, and your credentials materially improves approval odds. Petitions filed with detailed documentation and legal representation have meaningfully stronger outcomes than self-prepared filings.
Can a freelance motion design background hurt my H-1B application?
It can complicate it. H-1B requires a formal employer-employee relationship, so freelance or contract work history does not by itself disqualify you, but it can raise questions about the nature of your employment. What matters most is that your sponsoring employer demonstrates they control your work, set your hours, and direct your projects. Agencies and studios are generally well-positioned to satisfy this requirement compared to loosely structured arrangements.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Senior Motion Designer 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.