I think that may be true of executives (I've never hired an executive, so I can't say) (1), but I don't know a single big name tech company (including high grow

I think that may be true of executives (I've never hired an executive, so I can't say) (1), but I don't know a single big name tech company (including high growth start-ups) that doesn't fly talent out from all over the country and relocate them. That being said, the bar is always higher (even if unconsciously) for candidates that require visas or relocation. If you're good, however, that's not a worry. (1) OTOH, Wernel Vogels had certainly been relocated from Cornell to work at Amazon. I'd definitely say he has "the" job. One anecdote doesn't make a counter example, but this example shows that if you're great, you can find a job anywhere.