Ask HN: Is having an inside connection the biggest factor in landing a next job?
In your experience, do non-US candidates have a strong chance in landing a job at a US workplace from merit alone?
It is a system I hate, but the reality is if you have 2 candidates. Equal in most aspects, with one key exception. Your wife's, cousins, neighbor, mother in-law, whom you have a positive opinion of, because you were both at a party together once. Said candidate 'A' is really good.
Whom are you going to hire?
Now for the bad news - it's really, really hard to get a job places without living in that city. Much less country.
That said, big tech is so hungry for talent they put the resources into relocation, visa support, etc. That would be my suggestion - look at the big tech (Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, Netflix, MS, etc.)
It works the other way too. A lot of top tier talent won't go job hunting or bother with interviews, so inside connection is the best way to poach a star.
My 2cents of advice are be upfront about what type of visa you will need when you start the interview process. Don't trust that the HR will know the correct visa and requirements. Do you own research about processing times for the visa, make sure you look at recent data for this!
Good luck!