EF Core + Npgsql: "column 'status' is of type application_status but expression is of type text"

I've been struggling for two days with a PostgreSQL enum type issue in Entity Framework Core. Despite all my configuration, EF Core keeps trying to send a string (`text`) to an enum column.

The Problem

When calling SaveChangesAsync(), I get this error:

Npgsql.PostgresException (0x80004005): 42804: column "status" is of type application_status but expression is of type text

This is the code in my repository:

public async Task UpdateJobApplicationStatusAndReviewDate(
    JobApplication jobApplication,
    ApplicationStatus status,
    DateTime reviewedAt)
{
    if (jobApplication == null) 
        return;     

    jobApplication.ApplicationStatus = status;
    jobApplication.ReviewedAt = reviewedAt;

    await _context.SaveChangesAsync(); // ← FAILS HERE
}

Generated SQL (from EF Core logs)

 (Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Database.Command)
  Executed DbCommand (20ms) [Parameters=[@p0='1', @p1='6', @p2='2025-11-17T00:00:00.0000000+03:00' (Nullable = true) (DbType = Date), @p3='1', @p6='1', @p4='approved' (Nullable = false), @p5='2025-11-17T00:00:00.0000000+03:00' (Nullable = true) (DbType = Date)], CommandType='Text', CommandTimeout='30']
  INSERT INTO employees (car_rental_id, client_id, hire_date, position_id)
  VALUES (@p0, @p1, @p2, @p3)
  RETURNING employee_id;
  UPDATE job_applications SET status = @p4, reviewed_at = @p5
  WHERE application_id = @p6;

It doesn't take into account INSERT INTO; there's no ::application_status cast → PostgreSQL rejects it.

Entity class:

public class JobApplication
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public ApplicationStatus ApplicationStatus { get; set; } = ApplicationStatus.pending;
    public DateTime? ReviewedAt { get; set; }
    // ...other props
}

Enum

public enum ApplicationStatus
{
    pending,
    approved,
    rejected
}

EF Core configuration (IEntityTypeConfiguration<JobApplication>)

builder.Property(ja => ja.ApplicationStatus)
       .HasColumnName("status")
       .HasColumnType("application_status")
       .HasConversion(
              v => v.ToString(),
              v => Enum.Parse(v) 
        )  // ← tried with and without, even tried just HasConvertion<string>() 
       .HasDefaultValue(ApplicationStatus.pending)
       .IsRequired();

OnModelCreating method:

protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
{
    base.OnModelCreating(modelBuilder);
    // Tried both:
    modelBuilder.HasPostgresEnum<ApplicationStatus>();
    modelBuilder.HasPostgresEnum<ApplicationStatus>(name: "application_status");
    modelBuilder.ApplyConfigurationsFromAssembly(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly());
}

PostgreSQL schema

Enum values match C# enum

SELECT enum_range(null::application_status);  

    → { pending, approved, rejected }

Column in job_applications table in PostgreSQL:

ColumnTypeNullableDefaultstatusapplication_statusnot null'pending '::application_status

All configs matches with my Postgres database.

Additional note: querying works perfectly — no issues at all

This operation executes smoothly with zero errors:

public async Task<List<JobApplication>> GetPendingByRentalAsync(int carRentalId)
{
    return await _context.JobApplications
        .Where(ja => ja.CarRentalId == carRentalId && ja.ApplicationStatus == ApplicationStatus.pending)
        .ToListAsync(); 
}