Jan-Willem(41)

I'd been welding for twenty years — started with a vocational diploma in Deventer, then worked at shipyards, factories and offshore platforms in the North Sea. Good work, but the offshore industry in the Netherlands was shrinking and contracts were getting shorter. A mate of mine already working in Australia said: "Come here, they're desperate for welders."

The skills assessment for tradespeople goes through TRA — Trades Recognition Australia. You need to have your certificates assessed and demonstrate you meet Australian standards. My vocational diploma and offshore certifications were recognized, but I had to additionally pass an Australian Welding Standard test at an accredited test center. Total assessment costs: AUD 2,200.

My employer, a large mining company in the Goldfields region, sponsored my Subclass 482 visa. Kalgoorlie-Boulder isn't a place many people want to go — it's an outback town of 30,000 people, six hours' drive from Perth. But precisely because of that, employers are willing to sponsor foreign tradespeople and pay extra.

My salary as a mine welder in Kalgoorlie: AUD 130,000 per year base, plus overtime that can reach AUD 170,000. In Deventer I earned EUR 55,000. The difference is dramatic. And cost of living in Kalgoorlie is lower than in the big cities — my rent is AUD 350 per week for a three-bedroom detached house.

Outback life isn't for everyone. It's hot — 40+ degrees in summer. There's not much to do besides the pub, the local rugby team and barbecuing with colleagues. But the community is tight-knit. Everyone knows everyone, and as a Dutchman you stand out — they find our direct communication style refreshing.

My plan is to work here for three to five years, save hard — my superannuation is growing by AUD 15,000 per year — and then move to Perth or the Sunshine Coast. The 482 visa gives me a pathway to permanent residency via the 186 visa. Sometimes you need to be willing to live uncomfortably for the big reward.