Once more the only point I see is the one on your head.
No, I was not on a student visa, but I will relate a short story that may have some application here.
There was a period in my life after getting married, graduating, and trying to get established that I and my little family moved around a great deal. I came within a whisker of having to pack up and leave my family for active duty because Uncle Sam's mail missives failed to be delivered to me, and because it had not occurred to me during a particular harried time in my life to stay in touch with the Authorities and to keep my "papers" in order.
" because it had not occurred to me during a particular harried time in my life to stay in touch with the Authorities and to keep my "papers" in order."
Well if you were an immigrant or visitor to this country, and your ability to legally stay in this country DEPENDED on you staying in touch with the authorities, then maybe it WOULD have occurred to you to do that.
I'm sorry, I've seen federal authorities screw up on legal immigration cases before, but the screw up in this one appears to have been done by the immigrant.