Skills demand for Penetration Tester
Before anything else, it is worth knowing where this occupation sits in the labour market. Demand drives which visa pathways are realistic and how a state is likely to view a nomination.
Jobs and Skills Australia does not currently assess this occupation as being in shortage. That does not close off a skilled pathway, but it does mean you are competing on the strength of your own claims rather than on the strength of the labour market.
Visa pathways for Penetration Tester
The occupation lists decide the pathway. Each list maps to a different group of visa subclasses, so the first question is always which list — or lists — this occupation appears on.
Inclusion on the Core Skills Occupation List makes the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream available, subject to the usual sponsorship and nomination requirements.
Skills assessment for Penetration Tester
Every skilled application turns on the skills assessment. An independent authority — not the Department — decides whether your qualifications and experience genuinely correspond to the occupation you are nominating, and there is no way around it.
The authority sets and publishes its own fees. The pathways and charges below are taken from the authority's own fee schedule, and we check them against that source. Confirm the current figure with the authority before you apply — fees change, and the authority is the only source that can be relied on.
Employer Sponsorship Requirements
Employers sponsoring a penetration tester must be registered with the Department of Home Affairs, hold a valid sponsorship licence, and be in good standing with no compliance breaches. They must conduct labour market testing (LMT) to demonstrate that no suitable Australian citizen or permanent resident is available for the 482 role—typically a 4-week advertising period.
For 186 sponsorship, the employer nominates the specific role and candidate, and must commit to ongoing employment arrangements. Both pathways require the employer to provide a workplace assessment and sponsor nomination fee.
Typical arrangements include fixed-term 482 contracts moving to permanent employment contracts under 186. Employers often engage recruitment consultants or HR specialists experienced in visa sponsorship to manage the process. Clarify visa sponsorship capability early in job negotiations—not all organisations, particularly smaller firms, have the capability or willingness to sponsor.
How to apply, step by step
- Confirm the correct ANZSCO code for your occupation. Everything downstream depends on it, and an assessment obtained for the wrong code does not transfer.
- Obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
- Meet the English language requirement for the visa you are applying for.
- Lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, claiming only points you can evidence.
- If you are seeking state nomination, apply to the nominating body separately and on its terms.
- Wait to be invited. You cannot apply for the visa until an invitation is issued.
- Lodge the visa application within the period allowed by the invitation, with the evidence for every claim you made.