Employers hiring from abroad are taking on cost and paperwork, so their expectations run higher than for a local hire, whether they say so or not. They expect the skills on your CV to be genuinely there from day one, reasonable independence in settling in, adaptability to local ways of working rather than constant comparison with home, and enough commitment to justify the sponsorship investment.
Communication deserves special mention. Even in English speaking workplaces, employers want you to flag problems early, ask when unsure, and adjust to the local style of directness or diplomacy. Effort with the local language, even imperfect, reads as commitment almost everywhere.
Exceeding expectations is mostly about closing the gaps they worry about: learn the local business context fast, build relationships across teams, deliver visibly in your first months, and bring the international perspective they implicitly hired you for, such as knowledge of other markets and languages. That combination is exactly what local candidates cannot offer.