This is a 2026 step-by-step pathway guide for a Cyber Security Operations Coordinator migrating to Australia under ANZSCO 262118. 262118 is on MLTSSL and CSOL — the full skilled visa stack: Subclass 189 Independent, Subclass 190 State-Nominated, Subclass 491 Regional Provisional → 191 PR, Subclass 186 Direct Entry, Subclass 494 Regional Employer → 191, and Subclass 482 Core Skills → 186 TRT.
For the cost / timeline view see the 262118 cost & timeline case study. For ACS document details see the skills assessment guide.
Step 1 — Confirm 262118 is the right code
ANZSCO 262118 covers cyber security operations leadership / coordination — running 24/7 SOC operations, leading L1/L2/L3 analyst teams, incident response command, on-call escalation, SLA management, MSSP / vendor management, runbook and playbook authoring, post-incident reviews, capacity planning, and reporting to CISO / executives. Use ANZSCO search to verify against 262116 Cyber Security Analyst (analyst / practitioner), 261315 Cyber Security Engineer (engineer / build), 262112 ICT Security Specialist (broader advisory).
The cleanest 262118 fit is the SOC Manager / Head of Cyber Operations — leading the team rather than personally running the SIEM. If you spend most of your time hands-on triaging alerts, 262116 is more accurate.
Step 2 — ACS skills assessment
ACS (acs.org.au) assesses ICT qualifications. Pathways:
- Skills Assessment — Major in ICT — bachelor / master ICT or cybersecurity-aligned + ANZSCO match: 2 years deducted.
- Skills Assessment — Minor in ICT — partial ICT subjects: 4-5 years.
- RPL — non-ICT-aligned candidates with 6+ years experience.
Reference letters must show leadership work — team management headcount, SLA / KPI ownership, IR command, vendor / MSSP management, board / executive reporting. Hands-on analyst work doesn't fit 262118.
Step 3 — English
EOI lodgement requires Competent English. For points-tested visas, target Proficient (10 pts) or Superior (20 pts). Coordinator roles involve heavy stakeholder communication — board cyber updates, IR command communications, MSSP service review meetings — Superior English is the realistic target.
Step 4 — Choose a visa pathway
Subclass 189 Independent
Best for senior SOC managers / Heads of Cyber Operations with 10+ years experience. See Subclass 189.
Subclass 190 State-Nominated
+5 points. NSW (Sydney CBD financial / corporate SOCs), VIC (Melbourne corporates), ACT (federal cyber operations), QLD (Brisbane bank). See Subclass 190.
Subclass 491 → 191 (regional)
+15 points. Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Perth — substantial regional SOC management roles in MSSPs and state government. See Subclass 491.
Subclass 186 Direct Entry
Major MSSP / SOC operators — CyberCX, Tesserent, Trustwave, Mandiant, NTT, Verizon, Macquarie Telecom, Telstra Purple, Optus Cyber — sponsor experienced SOC managers. Banks (CBA, Westpac, ANZ, NAB), insurers (IAG, Suncorp, QBE), and Defence sponsor in-house cyber operations leadership. See Subclass 186.
Subclass 482 → 186 TRT / Subclass 494
482 Core Skills for 4 years employer-tied work. 494 for 5-year regional sponsorship → 191. See Subclass 482 and Subclass 494.
Step 5 — Score your points
Use the points calculator. Senior SOC managers with 10+ years skilled employment, Superior English, and partner skills points routinely reach 95-100 points.
Step 6 — Submit EOI / lodge
Lodge an EOI through SkillSelect for 189/190/491. For 186/494/482, the employer's sponsorship + nomination is lodged first.
Useful tools
- Visa fee calculator
- Document checklist — ACS evidence pack
- Eligibility wizard
- Invitation rounds tracker
- State nomination tracker
Authoritative sources
Next step
Want to map your SOC manager profile against 189 vs 190 vs 491 vs 186 vs 494 vs 482? Book a 30-minute free strategy call.