The system is not just Byzantine, the goal posts move continuously and so fast that even lawyers and officials can't keep up. And paperwork, by the ton. By the time my application for citizenship was approved, the stack was almost 12" tall.

Anyone trying this without a lawyer is in for a world of hurt. Even if you manage to sort out what needs to be filed and when, it may take years more to complete because the fastest way through depends on detailed knowledge of the process' inner workings.