British man will get uncommon expert employee visa after hacking into the Australian authorities
A British man who hacked into the Australian government has been given a rare visa allowing him to live and work in the country.
Ethical hacker Jacob Riggs, 36, was given one of Australia’s rarest visas after he uncovered a critical flaw in the government’s system.
It was part of a test to prove he was skilled enough to be rewarded with the elusive visa, which is given to fewer than one per cent of applicants.
The 858 National Innovation visa is one of the most selective pathways for highly skilled professionals and applicants must be invited to apply by the Australian government.
It also requires evidence of internationally recognised achievement, such as Nobel Prize winners and Olympic medallists.
Mr Riggs, from Bexley, London, became one of just a small handful of applicants to be successful and was granted full Australian residency.
He hacked into the Australian government system while working from home in Bexley.
Riggs, who is a global director of information security for a large Software as a Service (SaaS) provider, is now preparing to relocate to Sydney to work in cyber defence.
Jacob Riggs, has relocated from London to Sydney after he was awarded a rare visa from the Australian government
He said he was not particularly nervous during the process.
‘While I was aware of the significance for my visa application, I approached it as a routine security assessment and simply applied the same methodology I use professionally,’ he said.
‘It took roughly one hour and fifty minutes to identify the vulnerability’ he said, explaining that he was testing ‘multiple entry points’ before identifying a weakness the organisation wasn’t aware of.
During the government’s review of his visa application, he decided to start looking at the Australian government’s systems.
He discovered a critical vulnerability in a live system operated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Mr Riggs added: ‘If the 858 asks for anything, it’s evidence that your efforts to master yourself have meant something.
‘For me, that meant demonstrating the value of my work in a way the system could actually recognise: by helping protect the nation assessing my application.’
The new visas were introduced by the Australian government in December 2024, replacing the Global Talent visa.
By May 2025, nearly 6,000 people had expressed an interest in the scheme but just seven had received the visa.
Two others who received the elusive visas were Iraqi born scientists Dr Bilal Bahaa Zaidan Al-Jubouri and Dr Aos Alaa Zaidan.
The 36-year-old hacked into the Australian government system to expose a potential weakness
The pair were granted the visas for their expertise in developing AI systems in healthcare, supply chains and agriculture, SBS Arabic reported.
Mr Riggs was later formally acknowledged for his work and his name was added to the department’s Vulnerability Disclosure Program honour roll.
He has now been granted full residency rights, allowing him to continue his cybersecurity work on a full-time basis in Sydney.
He said: ‘A specific date isn’t set yet, but the move to Sydney is planned within the next 12 months.
‘There’s a lot to consider when you move your entire life to another country.
‘I also have a cat and he still needs convincing.’
Mr Riggs said a lifelong interest in computers sparked a professional path in cybersecurity.
He said: ‘I was interested in computers from a young age and that gradually evolved into a career in cybersecurity’.
The cybersecurity leader has earned recognition for his achievements and technical leadership.
For Mr Riggs, the journey has validated years of research, self-directed study, and hands-on leadership.
Riggs added: ‘In cybersecurity, mastery is invisible unless you can show its impact.’
The Australian Government was contacted for comment.
