It does seem like a US-centric thing. I've faced several interviews here in Australia and the teams care more about how the candidate will fit into the team. Most them sort of assume that what's written in the resume is correct. So the interview process is basically just trying to validate those claims. Also, it's really important to get your references right. But it depends a lot on the companies. Some of them have take home projects and white board problem solving sessions. We don't have anything like the H1B here. Either you're a permanent resident or an Aussie citizen. The only difference being the ability to vote and jury duty. Sure, some of the govt jobs are out of reach for permanent residents. The work visa holders are generally transferred by a company from another country.