I've been unemployed for 6 months

Absolutely, breaking into the international developer market can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to improve your chances and stand out:

1. Tailor Your Portfolio & GitHub

• Continuously update your portfolio (https://filipelab.com) with real-world projects. For each, write a concise description, your responsibilities, and technical challenges you solved.
• Make your projects open-source on GitHub when possible. Recruiters love to see actual code. Add clear READMEs.
• If you specialize in Laravel, consider including a “Case Studies” section for your best projects, explaining your design/development choices.

2. Demonstrate English Communication

• Add a short video introducing yourself in English. This helps recruiters gauge your communication skills and boosts confidence in hiring you globally.
• Write your documentation and READMEs in clear, error-free English.

3. Optimize LinkedIn for Recruiters

• Use keywords in your title and summary (e.g., Laravel, PHP, REST APIs, AWS, Vue.js).
• Ask previous colleagues to provide recommendations on LinkedIn.
• Specify that you are seeking remote, international roles in your summary.

4. Prepare for Modern Interviews

• Many interviews outside Brazil put more emphasis on coding challenges (e.g., on HackerRank, Codility) and system design questions. Practice these regularly.
• Example platforms to practice:

  https://leetcode.com/
  https://exercism.org/tracks/php
  https://www.frontendmentor.io/
  

• Also, be ready to discuss past projects, why you made certain decisions, and how you solve problems when things break.

5. Get Involved in Developer Communities

• Answer questions on Stack Overflow, Laracasts, Reddit, etc. This can get you noticed.
• Post articles or short technical write-ups (on your blog or Medium), tuned to the audiences you want to reach.

6. Apply Strategically

• Focus on remote-friendly companies. Popular job boards include:

  https://weworkremotely.com/
  https://remoteok.com/
  https://larajobs.com/
  

• Each application should have a tailored cover letter showing you understand their business and why you are a good fit.

7. Keep Practicing English

• Join English speaking meetups, or pair-program via Zoom with international devs.
• Tools like Grammarly can help, or consider short online courses for business English.

Summary Example (for LinkedIn/About page):

I’m a passionate Laravel/PHP developer with over 6 years of experience, specializing in building scalable web applications. I am seeking international remote opportunities, and I’m committed to clear communication and producing well-tested, maintainable code. Check out my portfolio at https://filipelab.com.

Final Tip: Persistence is key. Keep learning, keep applying, and keep iterating on your approach. Best of luck!