Rathi Rao is a founding partner of Ibrahim & Rao LLC and has been practicing immigration law for 23 years. 

She was born in Bangalore, India and immigrated to the United States at a young age. She graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Anthropology with a Minor in Spanish Language. During her time at Emory, Rathi studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain.

In 2001, Rathi completed her Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College of Law. Rathi has been practicing immigration law exclusively since her admission to the Georgia Bar in 2001. She worked as an Associate Attorney with Landey & Associates from 2001-2005 until she went into solo practice and then in 2009, co-founded Ibrahim & Rao LLC with her good friend and colleague, Jama Ibrahim. 

What started as a single-office boutique law firm has now grown to two full-time staffed offices in Atlanta, GA and Gainesville, GA.

Rathi’s immigration expertise lies in all family-based matters as well as complex deportation defense cases before Immigration Courts nationwide and the BIA. She helps unify families by assisting with immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, green card and citizenship applications, consular processing and I-601A Waivers. She has assisted several religious organizations throughout the Southeast in obtaining religious worker visas. Rathi also works closely with victims of crimes (T/U Visas) and victims of domestic violence (VAWA Petitions).

Rathi resides in metro Atlanta and is a member in good standing of the Georgia State Bar and Supreme Court of Georgia. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association the Atlanta and Alabama AILA Chapter.