Without going to Google to look it up and relying on memory, I believe Scharzenegger arrived in '68 and he became a citizen 15 years later-----in the early eighties, well after this published book made a public record of how he had spent his time here. The number of years, plus the public nature of this "revelation" put to rest the nonsense that he didn't abide by the rules.
(In addition, the 15 time period addresses your concern about Schwarzenegger somehow getting to the head of the line and violating some quota system.)
Really?
It was my understanding that a person could visit most nations on a tourist visa and could overstay that visa, but that they would not be permitted to apply for "landed immigrant" status from within the country. They would be expected to return to their home country and make application to immigrate through the embassy of the country to which they wished to immigrate.
Many people visit the US as tourists every year. Except for cases involving political asylum, I thought that they were required to return to their home country in order to apply to immigrate to the US.
Arnold was here on a visa designed to facilitate business operations and not as an immigration mechanism. If there was a waiting list, then it is a waiting list to become a "landed immigrant" from which status a person could then hope to qualify for citizenship.
The fact that the rules were not enforced is no more a justification for Arnold's taking up permanent residence here than for any illegal crossing the southern border of the US.