Malini is a Partner specialising in all aspects of UK immigration and nationality law for businesses and individuals. She is recognised by Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Partner’, described as ‘knowing the intricacies of the laws and regulations’ and having ‘very clear attention to details, integrity and great responsiveness’. She is also ranked Band 2 by Chambers and Partners 2024 where she is described as being ‘one in a million’ and ‘extremely brilliant with great expertise’.

Malini’s deep technical expertise spans the full spectrum of inbound UK immigration law. Her clients are drawn from all sectors from financial services, AI leaders, global mobility companies and manufacturers to innovative tech leaders, entrepreneurs, international families, overstayers and those seeking protection in the UK.

Malini provides clear, strategic and commercial advice to global organisations looking to employ or retain overseas workers in the UK through the Skilled Worker or Global Business Mobility routes. She also regularly assists clients with ongoing sponsorship and immigration compliance, prevention of illegal working legislation and corporate restructuring.

In addition to her considerable experience in business immigration with a focus on companies looking to set up in the UK, Malini’s day to day practice involves regularly advising on personal immigration assisting private clients with all UK immigration applications to the point of British Citizenship.

Malini is known for handling complex and sensitive matters with a remarkable track record of success, reflecting her tenacious determination and commitment to secure just outcomes for clients. She has an impressive profile in obtaining life-changing results for individuals with complex immigration matters with particular emphasis on applications based on partnership, family and private life, human rights and discretionary leave outside the Immigration Rules. Such matters often involve strategic direction and the exercise of discretion by the Home Office. Her experience covers matters relating to the European Union Settlement Scheme, visa refusals, challenging mandatory bans to the UK and appeals to the First Tier Tribunal.

Malini also actively undertakes pro bono work for those affected by the events in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Palestine.

She is also regularly and actively involved with efforts in lobbying the government on immigration policy. Externally, Malini is a highly experienced trainer, including for the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, and is regularly invited to speak internationally on immigration topics, as well as providing articles, practice notes, and legal insight in the general media.

Recent Experience

• Assisting with large scale Skilled Worker project for UK-based financial and professional services requiring significant recruitment of overseas financial specialist due to gaps in the UK workforce.
• Being granted one of the first Global Business Mobility – UK expansion worker sponsor licence applications for a Swiss FinTech company requiring their Senior Business Consultant & Marketing Manager to be temporarily based in the UK.
• Undertaking thorough immigration compliance and right to work audits for Skilled Worker sponsor licence holders and Student licence holders.
• Securing a Tech Nation endorsement under the Global Talent category for the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of an AI platform.
• Obtaining settlement and subsequently British citizenship on a discretionary basis for a Tier 1 (Investor) victim of domestic abuse with criminal convictions in the US.
• Assisting with a settlement application for an Overseas representative of a business with excessive absences that broke the relevant continuous residence requirement.
• Obtaining permission under Appendix FM and certificates of entitlement confirming British-Afghan children right of abode in the UK.
• Advising an award-winning composer and political activist on their UK immigration options to remain in the UK following an unexpected medical procedure.
• Securing permission for a senior executive on the basis of being parent to a British child following redundancy from their UK-based employment.
• Obtaining registration as a British citizen of an adopted child on a discretionary basis so that he was able to live with his adopted British father in the UK.
• Successfully obtaining settled status for a victim of domestic violence and their son despite missing the relevant deadline under pre and post Brexit immigration provisions.