throwaway2037 parent
I have never before heard about this issue regarding US work visas. Isn't it normal for your employer to hire a visa consulting firm to handle all the work?
I think your second sentence answers your first: if the visa process were straightforward, one wouldn't need to hire specialists.
Are there any highly developed nations where job applicants submit their own visa applications? I never heard of it once in my career.
Yes. E.g. https://www.uscis.gov/i-765