Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Ritu Vellanki

Meet Ritu Vellanki, Case Manager at Garvish Immigration Law Group. Ritu is from Vishakhapatnam, India, a beautiful city surrounded by the Western Ghats and the Coast of Bay of Bengal. 

Ritu received her bachelor’s in business and law from School of Law, Gitam University, in Vishakhapatnam, India. She received her Master of Law from UNC – Chapel Hill and recently graduated with a master’s in business in Strategic Management & Finance from University of Cumberland and Georgia State University. 

My wish to study law stems from a need to prevail over the inequity of society by enabling the law to keep up with the contemporary fast paced society; something that can only be achieved by a better understanding of its jurisprudence. 

Immigration was never Ritu’s first choice. She always dreamt of practicing corporate law. However, after taking an immigration law class during her second semester at law school, she fell in love with the subject and everything that came with it. Ritu worked on several pro bono immigration law projects during her master’s degree program, which made her realize how complex people’s situations can  be. 

Immigration is my calling because it’s an opportunity to serve people. I’ve been in this field for nearly four years, and I absolutely love it. Besides my interest in the subject, I myself experienced various hurdles during my own immigration journey during the last few years. I came to the U.S. on an F-1 visa, and after three attempts with the H-1B lottery, I was lucky to get it the third time. I think this personal experience helped me understand clients better. This field is so rewarding  because I help people from all over the world for the opportunity to access the American Dream.

Ritu celebrating her graduation with friends

Ritu is an invaluable member of the team at Garvish Immigration Law Group, where she goes above and beyond  to help our clients with their employment and family-based immigration needs. 

I’ll always be grateful for this amazing opportunity given to me by Elizabeth Garvish. My immigration journey has made me a stronger individual and has helped me understand the word “patience” better. I’m extremely grateful for my family, friends, and colleagues for being there throughout. A special shout out to my mom, who dreamt of sending me to the U.S. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. 

Ritu with her family

Aside from her passion for immigration law, Ritu enjoys writing, reading, drawing, and cooking. 

My pride stems from the rich heritage of Asian countries. I’m a proud Indian, and I absolutely love my country, its culture, and its history. Besides English, I can fluently speak and write my mother tongue Telugu as well as India’s most popular language, Hindi.

This monthly blog series on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is produced by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee led by our Senior Attorney, Nadia Deans Kalata.

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