[pippin]

As a student in a similar situation, but from Canada, I'd add the suggestion of looking for teams you would genuinely love to be apart of, and targeting them.

Why? Say you find five or six places that are tackling a problem that really excites you - and a team of individuals at each of these places, that as a student you can feel welcome to work your butt off while gaining a tonne in knowledge and wisdom.

Build something for each of these places - and personalize. Show that you give a shit about the problem they are solving.

[laluser]

As a recent graduate with a few internships under my belt, I have seen plenty students come from abroad for internships. Although this was an awesome idea, I think it might only target smaller companies that do their own recruiting. Even for the smaller companies, this might not be the "best" approach. I agree with doing something more custom based for them to show that you are passionate, although it would be a much more time consuming process. On the other hand, the bigger companies will want you to apply more directly.