Software Engineer AI Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Software Engineer AI roles are among the most actively H-1B visa sponsored positions in the U.S. tech industry, with employers ranging from AI labs to enterprise software companies. Most require a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, and many qualify for premium processing. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
At NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios we are passionate about pushing the limits of technology, and we're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our team! We help shape the future of games by combining the best AI and graphics technology NVIDIA has to offer with the most advanced games and tools in the industry. In this role, you'll help take new, unannounced projects powered by state-of-the-art AI models from research to real-time, interactive gaming experiences. If you're passionate about bringing generative AI to games, we'd love to hear from you!
Some existing projects we've been working on:
- RTX Remix is an open-source modding platform for remastering classic games with full path tracing, DLSS 4.5, and generative AI tools that turn low-resolution textures into physically based materials. Newer features like RTX Remix Logic and Advanced Particle VFX let modders add dynamic, gameplay-driven effects: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/rtx-remix/
- Zorah is our neural rendering tech demo for the GeForce RTX 50 Series launch at CES 2025. It features massive, fully path-traced scenes in Unreal Engine 5, powered by RTX Neural Shaders, RTX Mega Geometry, and DLSS 4: https://developer.nvidia.com/rtx-kit
- Project R2X is a vision-enabled AI avatar for RTX PCs that can see the screen, assist with apps, and summarize documents. It is rendered with RTX Neural Faces and animated by a diffusion-based Audio2Face-3D model: https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-launches-ai-foundation-models-for-rtx-ai-pcs
- NVIDIA AI for Gaming brings conversational, autonomous game characters to life with small on-device models for speech, intelligence, and animation. It powers AI teammates in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, AI citizens in inZOI, and an in-game advisor in Total War: PHARAOH: https://developer.nvidia.com/ace-for-games
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What you'll be doing:
- Build and ship software for upcoming, not-yet-announced projects that bring world models and video diffusion models to real-time gaming, from prototype to release.
- Train, fine-tune, and evaluate models, including data curation and adapting models to game-specific content and controls.
- Optimize models and inference for latency, token throughput, and quality, using techniques such as distillation, quantization, and reduced-step sampling on RTX devices and in the cloud.
- Profile and remove bottlenecks across the stack, from model architecture to GPU kernels.
- Integrate models into Unreal Engine, Unity, and custom engines, so they run efficiently alongside rendering.
- Lead technical decisions, mentor other engineers, and collaborate with NVIDIA Research, rendering, and art teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What we need to see:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 12+ years of software engineering experience, including substantial hands-on work shipping AI, deep learning, or machine learning systems.
- Expert-level C++ and Python.
- Hands-on experience training and fine-tuning deep learning models with PyTorch or a similar framework, including distributed training.
- Experience in one or more of these areas: video generation, world models, diffusion or flow-matching models, transformers, or neural rendering.
- Experience optimizing GPU inference with CUDA, TensorRT, TensorRT-LLM, or Triton.
- A track record of turning complex prototypes into shipped products, and clear communication across research, engineering, and art.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
- Hands-on experience with interactive, action-conditioned, or real-time world models or video generation.
- Experience developing custom CUDA or Triton kernels.
- Experience with game engine development or real-time rendering pipelines.
- Open-source contributions (such as Diffusers, FastVideo, vLLM, SGLang, or TensorRT-LLM), publications, or patents.
If you're motivated to join the Lightspeed Studios Engineering team, please submit your resume and a cover letter explaining your proven experience and why you'd be a phenomenal fit for NVIDIA Lightspeed. We look forward to reviewing your application and potentially welcoming you to our team.
COMPENSATION
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5, and 272,000 USD - 431,250 USD for Level 6.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until October 2, 2026.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.
INTRODUCTION
At NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios we are passionate about pushing the limits of technology, and we're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our team! We help shape the future of games by combining the best AI and graphics technology NVIDIA has to offer with the most advanced games and tools in the industry. In this role, you'll help take new, unannounced projects powered by state-of-the-art AI models from research to real-time, interactive gaming experiences. If you're passionate about bringing generative AI to games, we'd love to hear from you!
Some existing projects we've been working on:
- RTX Remix is an open-source modding platform for remastering classic games with full path tracing, DLSS 4.5, and generative AI tools that turn low-resolution textures into physically based materials. Newer features like RTX Remix Logic and Advanced Particle VFX let modders add dynamic, gameplay-driven effects: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/rtx-remix/
- Zorah is our neural rendering tech demo for the GeForce RTX 50 Series launch at CES 2025. It features massive, fully path-traced scenes in Unreal Engine 5, powered by RTX Neural Shaders, RTX Mega Geometry, and DLSS 4: https://developer.nvidia.com/rtx-kit
- Project R2X is a vision-enabled AI avatar for RTX PCs that can see the screen, assist with apps, and summarize documents. It is rendered with RTX Neural Faces and animated by a diffusion-based Audio2Face-3D model: https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-launches-ai-foundation-models-for-rtx-ai-pcs
- NVIDIA AI for Gaming brings conversational, autonomous game characters to life with small on-device models for speech, intelligence, and animation. It powers AI teammates in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, AI citizens in inZOI, and an in-game advisor in Total War: PHARAOH: https://developer.nvidia.com/ace-for-games
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What you'll be doing:
- Build and ship software for upcoming, not-yet-announced projects that bring world models and video diffusion models to real-time gaming, from prototype to release.
- Train, fine-tune, and evaluate models, including data curation and adapting models to game-specific content and controls.
- Optimize models and inference for latency, token throughput, and quality, using techniques such as distillation, quantization, and reduced-step sampling on RTX devices and in the cloud.
- Profile and remove bottlenecks across the stack, from model architecture to GPU kernels.
- Integrate models into Unreal Engine, Unity, and custom engines, so they run efficiently alongside rendering.
- Lead technical decisions, mentor other engineers, and collaborate with NVIDIA Research, rendering, and art teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What we need to see:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 12+ years of software engineering experience, including substantial hands-on work shipping AI, deep learning, or machine learning systems.
- Expert-level C++ and Python.
- Hands-on experience training and fine-tuning deep learning models with PyTorch or a similar framework, including distributed training.
- Experience in one or more of these areas: video generation, world models, diffusion or flow-matching models, transformers, or neural rendering.
- Experience optimizing GPU inference with CUDA, TensorRT, TensorRT-LLM, or Triton.
- A track record of turning complex prototypes into shipped products, and clear communication across research, engineering, and art.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
- Hands-on experience with interactive, action-conditioned, or real-time world models or video generation.
- Experience developing custom CUDA or Triton kernels.
- Experience with game engine development or real-time rendering pipelines.
- Open-source contributions (such as Diffusers, FastVideo, vLLM, SGLang, or TensorRT-LLM), publications, or patents.
If you're motivated to join the Lightspeed Studios Engineering team, please submit your resume and a cover letter explaining your proven experience and why you'd be a phenomenal fit for NVIDIA Lightspeed. We look forward to reviewing your application and potentially welcoming you to our team.
COMPENSATION
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5, and 272,000 USD - 431,250 USD for Level 6.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until October 2, 2026.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.
See all 17,575+ Software Engineer AI Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Software Engineer AI Jobs
Lead with AI-specific technical depth
Employers sponsoring AI engineers want evidence of hands-on work with specific frameworks, PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX. Listing these with measurable outcomes (model accuracy improvements, inference latency reductions) signals the specialized expertise that justifies H-1B sponsorship.
Target companies with H-1B filing history
Sponsorship willingness varies significantly by employer. Focus on companies that have consistently filed H-1B petitions for software engineering roles. Established AI labs and large tech firms have dedicated immigration teams and predictable sponsorship processes already in place.
Clarify your visa status early in the process
Many AI teams move fast and make offers quickly. Disclosing your sponsorship needs before a technical interview saves both sides time. Framing it matter-of-factly, not apologetically, signals confidence and helps you identify sponsors before investing hours in their process.
Emphasize research contributions where relevant
Published papers, conference presentations at NeurIPS or ICML, and open-source model contributions carry real weight for AI roles. These can also support O-1A visa eligibility if your profile is strong enough to avoid the H-1B lottery entirely.
Understand how your degree field affects eligibility
AI engineering roles typically require a degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, or statistics. Adjacent degrees in physics or cognitive science may qualify, but the job duties must clearly map to the degree field for USCIS specialty occupation approval.
Use OPT strategically if you're on F-1 status
STEM OPT gives F-1 graduates up to three years of work authorization, covering multiple H-1B lottery cycles. Starting an AI engineering role during OPT gives you time to build employer relationships and get sponsored before your grace period creates pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Software Engineer AI roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations?
Yes. AI engineering roles consistently qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations because they require at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a directly related field. USCIS has approved thousands of H-1B petitions for AI and machine learning engineers. The key is that the job description must specify a degree requirement tied to the role, not just list it as preferred.
Can I get an O-1A visa as an AI engineer instead of applying for the H-1B?
Possibly, if your profile includes strong evidence of distinction, published research, significant citations, speaker roles at major AI conferences, or recognized contributions to the field. The O-1A has no annual cap or lottery, which makes it attractive for AI engineers who've built a research or open-source track record. It's worth assessing before each H-1B registration cycle, especially if you've missed the lottery.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for AI engineers?
AI labs, large tech companies, cloud providers, defense contractors, financial institutions building proprietary models, and healthcare technology firms all actively sponsor AI engineers. Startups sponsor too, though their immigration infrastructure varies. To find roles that explicitly support sponsorship, browse Migrate Mate, which filters for verified sponsoring employers in the AI and software engineering space.
Does a computer science degree from outside the U.S. qualify for H-1B sponsorship in AI roles?
Yes, foreign degrees are accepted for H-1B purposes. USCIS evaluates whether the degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree in a relevant field. A three-year bachelor's from countries like India or Australia may require a credential evaluation to confirm equivalency, particularly if the employer's attorney includes the evaluation in the petition to preempt any RFE on educational qualifications.
What happens to my H-1B if my AI employer is acquired or shuts down?
If your employer is acquired and you continue in the same role under the successor entity, your H-1B typically remains valid without a new filing. If the company shuts down, your H-1B is tied to that employer and you enter a 60-day grace period to find a new sponsor, transfer your status, or depart. Acting quickly on a transfer petition is critical, work authorization ends when the new employer files, not when USCIS approves.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Software Engineer AI 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.