Penetration Tester Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Penetration tester visa sponsorship jobs in California are concentrated across Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where technology companies, defense contractors, and cybersecurity firms actively recruit internationally. Employers including Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm, and major cloud providers regularly file sponsorship petitions for security professionals with hands-on offensive security experience.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way.
As a Senior Penetration Tester, you'll find the vulnerabilities in Forward Financing's software before an attacker does. You'll pentest our core systems along with the AI systems and agents our engineers are shipping, and help shape how we test software that AI helped write. Our engineering organization is moving fast with AI, and our security testing needs to move at the same pace.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role you will:
- Conduct manual penetration tests against each of our systems, and build the AI-assisted tooling and automation that extends how much ground those tests can cover.
- Help define how we pentest AI. Bring us new ideas for testing LLM applications, agents, and agent-generated code, and build the ones that work into our regular testing.
- Triage findings from our SAST tools, fix the vulnerabilities that are real, and tune the rules that produce false positives.
- Perform secure code review across web applications, APIs, and AWS infrastructure.
- Build tooling and security services within the Forward application stack, including AI-assisted tooling that speeds up the security team's own work.
- Support the test-to-production review process so AI-built work is security-reviewed before promotion.
- Explain risk to engineers in enough detail that they can prioritize and fix what you found.
WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY
- Shape a growing function: Our security program is early enough that your work sets the standard. You'll have influence over how we test, what tooling we build, and how we secure AI-built software.
- Mission driven company: Forward is a trusted source of fast, flexible funding for small businesses that have often been underserved by traditional financing options. When you join the team, you will help ensure all small businesses have access to the financial support they need to succeed.
- Flexibility is a top priority: Our employees are empowered to choose where they want to work (whether that’s from home, in the office, or a combination of both) with flexible hours.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
- 5+ years in application security, offensive security, or product security.
- Hands-on pentesting and code-review depth across web applications, APIs, and cloud infrastructure (AWS).
- A hacker mentality. You're curious about how systems break, and you keep pulling on threads after the scanner comes back clean.
- Interest in using AI to solve problems, whether that's in your own workflow or in the systems you're testing.
- Understanding of AI/LLM attack surface: prompt injection, insecure agent tool use, and vulnerabilities characteristic of AI-generated code.
- Experience with modern programming languages such as Ruby, Python, TypeScript, or Go, and with secure SDLC practices.
- Ability to communicate risk and priorities to other security and software engineers.
- Typically has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or equivalent technical degree, or equivalent industry experience.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience pentesting or red-teaming LLM applications and agentic systems.
- OSCP/OSWE or comparable offensive certifications.
- Experience contributing to bug-bounty or external testing programs.
- Background in fintech or other regulated environments.
COMPENSATION
Annual Targeted Salary: $143,000-$183,000 CAD
Annual Target Bonus: 10%
At Forward Financing, we're committed to fair and transparent compensation. We believe in providing a compensation package that recognizes your skills, experience, and the unique value you bring to our team. We take a market-based approach to pay, regularly reviewing benchmark data to ensure our compensation remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our performance-driven culture.
Final offers are determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, specific skills, and internal equity. This approach ensures that our compensation is competitive and equitable. Your recruiter will provide specific details on the expected base and variable earnings as it pertains to this specific role. This position is to fill an existing vacancy.
TOTAL REWARDS
Additionally, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, a flexible time-off policy, paid parental leave, RRSP match, wellness reimbursement, volunteering days, annual professional development budget, and charitable donation match.
Forward is proud to be a remote-first company, keeping workplace flexibility a top priority for our employees. As a business, we are focused on impact; we are more concerned with your contributions to the success of the company than where you get your work done. To help facilitate in-person collaboration, employees are welcome to work from one of our premiere office locations.
When we aren’t collaborating to drive business and support our customers, we’re finding virtual and in-person ways to get to know our colleagues, celebrate team wins, and have fun together!
OUR CULTURE: THE FORWARD COMPASS
The Forward Compass is the standard we hold for ourselves and one another—guiding how we lead, collaborate, and show up every day to move in the same direction.
- Back the Builders: We are wired to fuel customer progress, not just provide support.
- Rooted in People: We create an environment that balances deep connection with the extreme ownership and honesty required to reach our highest potential.
- Flying V: We move through coordinated effort with speed and urgency to achieve what no individual could do alone.
- Always Forward, Never Finished: We pursue growth with a relentless drive that keeps us ahead of the competition.
About us
Forward Financing is a fintech company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Whether facing challenges accessing traditional financing or simply needing a convenient, flexible solution, Forward is committed to funding more of the millions of small businesses nationwide. By simplifying the requirements, streamlining the process, and using advanced proprietary technology, Forward is often able to deliver approvals within hours and funds that same day – giving more businesses the financial opportunity they need to thrive. Plus, with their dedicated teams and award-winning service, customers get personalized support when they need it most.
Since 2012, Forward has expanded access to capital by providing over $4.8 billion in funding to more than 92,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau with an Excellent / 4.7 stars rating on Trustpilot.com. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work, Forward is dedicated to empowering both its team and the customers they serve, helping them succeed and thrive.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
It is the policy of Forward Financing to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, religion, national origin, status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know should you require any accommodations. As part of our commitment to a streamlined and equitable hiring experience, we use AI tools to assist with candidate screening and assessment.
Compensation Range: $145K - $183K
INTRODUCTION
Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way.
As a Senior Penetration Tester, you'll find the vulnerabilities in Forward Financing's software before an attacker does. You'll pentest our core systems along with the AI systems and agents our engineers are shipping, and help shape how we test software that AI helped write. Our engineering organization is moving fast with AI, and our security testing needs to move at the same pace.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role you will:
- Conduct manual penetration tests against each of our systems, and build the AI-assisted tooling and automation that extends how much ground those tests can cover.
- Help define how we pentest AI. Bring us new ideas for testing LLM applications, agents, and agent-generated code, and build the ones that work into our regular testing.
- Triage findings from our SAST tools, fix the vulnerabilities that are real, and tune the rules that produce false positives.
- Perform secure code review across web applications, APIs, and AWS infrastructure.
- Build tooling and security services within the Forward application stack, including AI-assisted tooling that speeds up the security team's own work.
- Support the test-to-production review process so AI-built work is security-reviewed before promotion.
- Explain risk to engineers in enough detail that they can prioritize and fix what you found.
WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY
- Shape a growing function: Our security program is early enough that your work sets the standard. You'll have influence over how we test, what tooling we build, and how we secure AI-built software.
- Mission driven company: Forward is a trusted source of fast, flexible funding for small businesses that have often been underserved by traditional financing options. When you join the team, you will help ensure all small businesses have access to the financial support they need to succeed.
- Flexibility is a top priority: Our employees are empowered to choose where they want to work (whether that’s from home, in the office, or a combination of both) with flexible hours.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
- 5+ years in application security, offensive security, or product security.
- Hands-on pentesting and code-review depth across web applications, APIs, and cloud infrastructure (AWS).
- A hacker mentality. You're curious about how systems break, and you keep pulling on threads after the scanner comes back clean.
- Interest in using AI to solve problems, whether that's in your own workflow or in the systems you're testing.
- Understanding of AI/LLM attack surface: prompt injection, insecure agent tool use, and vulnerabilities characteristic of AI-generated code.
- Experience with modern programming languages such as Ruby, Python, TypeScript, or Go, and with secure SDLC practices.
- Ability to communicate risk and priorities to other security and software engineers.
- Typically has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or equivalent technical degree, or equivalent industry experience.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience pentesting or red-teaming LLM applications and agentic systems.
- OSCP/OSWE or comparable offensive certifications.
- Experience contributing to bug-bounty or external testing programs.
- Background in fintech or other regulated environments.
COMPENSATION
Annual Targeted Salary: $143,000-$183,000 CAD
Annual Target Bonus: 10%
At Forward Financing, we're committed to fair and transparent compensation. We believe in providing a compensation package that recognizes your skills, experience, and the unique value you bring to our team. We take a market-based approach to pay, regularly reviewing benchmark data to ensure our compensation remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our performance-driven culture.
Final offers are determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, specific skills, and internal equity. This approach ensures that our compensation is competitive and equitable. Your recruiter will provide specific details on the expected base and variable earnings as it pertains to this specific role. This position is to fill an existing vacancy.
TOTAL REWARDS
Additionally, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, a flexible time-off policy, paid parental leave, RRSP match, wellness reimbursement, volunteering days, annual professional development budget, and charitable donation match.
Forward is proud to be a remote-first company, keeping workplace flexibility a top priority for our employees. As a business, we are focused on impact; we are more concerned with your contributions to the success of the company than where you get your work done. To help facilitate in-person collaboration, employees are welcome to work from one of our premiere office locations.
When we aren’t collaborating to drive business and support our customers, we’re finding virtual and in-person ways to get to know our colleagues, celebrate team wins, and have fun together!
OUR CULTURE: THE FORWARD COMPASS
The Forward Compass is the standard we hold for ourselves and one another—guiding how we lead, collaborate, and show up every day to move in the same direction.
- Back the Builders: We are wired to fuel customer progress, not just provide support.
- Rooted in People: We create an environment that balances deep connection with the extreme ownership and honesty required to reach our highest potential.
- Flying V: We move through coordinated effort with speed and urgency to achieve what no individual could do alone.
- Always Forward, Never Finished: We pursue growth with a relentless drive that keeps us ahead of the competition.
About us
Forward Financing is a fintech company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Whether facing challenges accessing traditional financing or simply needing a convenient, flexible solution, Forward is committed to funding more of the millions of small businesses nationwide. By simplifying the requirements, streamlining the process, and using advanced proprietary technology, Forward is often able to deliver approvals within hours and funds that same day – giving more businesses the financial opportunity they need to thrive. Plus, with their dedicated teams and award-winning service, customers get personalized support when they need it most.
Since 2012, Forward has expanded access to capital by providing over $4.8 billion in funding to more than 92,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau with an Excellent / 4.7 stars rating on Trustpilot.com. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work, Forward is dedicated to empowering both its team and the customers they serve, helping them succeed and thrive.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
It is the policy of Forward Financing to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, religion, national origin, status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know should you require any accommodations. As part of our commitment to a streamlined and equitable hiring experience, we use AI tools to assist with candidate screening and assessment.
Compensation Range: $145K - $183K
Penetration Tester Job Roles in California
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Search Penetration Tester Jobs in CaliforniaPenetration Tester Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for penetration testers in California?
California's largest sponsors for penetration tester roles include major technology firms in Silicon Valley, defense contractors in San Diego, and cybersecurity-focused companies across the Bay Area. Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm, Cisco, and cloud providers such as Google and Meta have documented H-1B visa sponsorship histories for security engineering roles. Financial institutions headquartered in San Francisco also sponsor penetration testers on a regular basis.
Which visa types realistically fit penetration tester roles in California?
Penetration testing qualifies as a specialty occupation under the H-1B, requiring a bachelor's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information systems, or a closely related field. Canadian and Mexican nationals do not have a TN visa pathway for this role, as penetration tester is not a listed USMCA profession. Australian nationals may pursue the E-3 visa, which also requires specialty occupation eligibility and an employer-filed Labor Condition Application. F-1 students with STEM-designated degrees can use OPT or STEM OPT to work in this role while seeking long-term sponsorship.
How to find penetration tester visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists California employers with verified sponsorship histories for penetration tester and broader cybersecurity roles, so you can focus your search on companies already familiar with the H-1B and E-3 processes. Filtering by California and the IT and cybersecurity category surfaces active openings in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego without wading through employers unlikely to sponsor international candidates.
Which cities in California have the most penetration tester sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose and Santa Clara, accounts for the highest concentration of sponsored penetration tester roles given the density of technology and cybersecurity companies there. San Diego is a secondary hub driven by defense contractors and biotech firms with security requirements. Los Angeles has grown steadily as a cybersecurity employer market, particularly among media technology and fintech companies with international hiring programs.
Are there state-specific factors that affect penetration tester sponsorship in California?
California's technology industry pipeline produces high H-1B filing volume for security roles, meaning employers here are generally experienced with the sponsorship process. Universities such as UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and Stanford feed graduates into local cybersecurity teams, creating a competitive candidate pool that international applicants join through OPT before transitioning to H-1B. Defense-adjacent roles in San Diego may carry additional background check and citizenship requirements that limit sponsorship eligibility for certain positions.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored penetration tester jobs in California?
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.