The applicant, an F-1 student admitted to a new school, entered the United States on the new I-20. CBP sent the applicant to secondary inspection and then admitted the applicant, but the officer linked the SEVIS record to the old school's I-20 instead of the new one. The new SEVIS record was never activated, the old school's record was later terminated automatically, and the applicant received a Notice to Appear (NTA) placing the applicant in removal proceedings.

• The problem was not a status violation by the applicant; it came from a CBP data-entry error at the port of entry.
• The case involved CBP, USCIS, the school's DSO and the immigration court (EOIR) at the same time: CBP has limited procedures for changing records, USCIS relies on SEVIS status, the DSO cannot correct CBP's entry on its own, and once the NTA was filed the case was already in court.
• With an NTA pending, the usual fix of leaving and re-entering to activate SEVIS was no longer available, and leaving without advice could have hurt the court case and future applications.

• Rebuilt the full entry and status timeline and checked the SEVIS records, I-94, every I-20 and the school's documents, confirming that the error was CBP's.
• Contacted the CBP office repeatedly, explained the facts and submitted supporting evidence.
• Assembled a complete document chain showing the applicant had always attended school as F-1 rules require, with no intentional violation.
• Kept USCIS and the school informed to confirm the records, filed an explanation and supporting materials with EOIR, and answered each agency's follow-up questions with more evidence.

CBP agreed to correct the entry record, and the status problem caused by the data-entry error was resolved.

After every entry, check that your I-94 and SEVIS record point to the right school, and after changing schools make sure you travel on the newest valid I-20. If your SEVIS status looks wrong or you receive an NTA, talk to a lawyer before leaving the country.