Headshot of Immigration Attorney and McCandlish Holton Director Crystal Malik

Practice Areas

Immigration Law

Immigration processes including: employment, humanitarian and family-based immigrant petitions, complex naturalization, derivative citizenship, and non-immigrant employment-based immigration processes (with emphasis on E, H, L, O, and P visas), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), VAWA self-petitions, U-visas, humanitarian reinstatement and waivers of inadmissibility. 

Education

  • University of Richmond School of Law, J.D.
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, M.T.
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, B.A.

Admissions

  • Virginia
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Crystal is a Director in the Immigration Practice Group.  Crystal assists clients with a wide variety of immigration processes including employment, humanitarian and family-based immigrant petitions, complex naturalization, derivative citizenship, and non-immigrant employment-based immigration processes (with emphasis on E, H, L, O, and P visas). 

She counsels clients regarding employment regulations including the training plan requirement for STEM OPT extensions for international students and I-9 for all employees.  She has experience with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), VAWA self-petitions, U-visas, humanitarian reinstatement and waivers of inadmissibility.  She provides advice regarding the immigration consequences of criminal convictions and has experience with post-conviction relief petitions.  She regularly helps clients troubleshoot a variety of stalled immigration status-related state-based application processes including SAVE verifications for driver’s licenses and Social Security applications and has experience navigating motor vehicles rules, regulations and application processes all over the country. 

Crystal’s interest in immigration law began while sponsoring her husband’s U.S. immigrant petition, an experience that motivated her choice of immigration law as a career.  During law school, she was a Law Clerk with the Immigration Practice Group at McCandlish Holton.  She previously worked with the Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service at the University of Richmond School of Law to assist clients of the organization’s Immigration, No Fault Divorce and Wills for Seniors projects and served on the Trial Advocacy Board and as a Law School Admissions Representative.  While earning her undergraduate and graduate degrees Crystal worked as a Paramedic and after graduate school as a Spanish teacher.

Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers®
    • Ones to Watch, Immigration Law, since 2021
  • Virginia Business Magazine, Legal Elite, Immigration, since 2019

Professional and Community Involvement

  •  AILA| American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • MRWBA | Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association
  • VSB | Virginia State Bar Association

PRESENTATIONS

  • Presenter, ‘‘Hot Topics in ISSS,’’ NAFSA Virginia International Educators Fall (Virtual) Conference, Old Dominion University (December 2021)
  • Presenter, "Immigration Hot Topics,NAFSA Virginia International Educators Spring (Virtual) Conference, (April 2021)
  • Presenter, "Next Steps and New Developments in Immigration Law,International Student Leadership Virtual Conference, (March 2021)
  • Presenter, "Optional Practical Training and Hot Topics," NAFSA Virginia International Educators Fall Conference, Christopher Newport University (October 2019)
  • Panelist, "Industry and Legal Voices: DACA, Data, and the Spirit of the Law," 2019 NACE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL (June 2019)
  • Presenter, “Work Options and Hot Topics,” NAFSA Virginia International Educators Spring Conference, Old Dominion University (March 2019)
  • Presenter, "STEM OPT Extension: Separating Fact from Fiction"
    • 2019 NAFSA Annual Conference, Washington, DC (June 2019)
    • 2018 NAFSA Regional Conference, Richmond, VA (November 2018)
  • Panelist, "Industry and Legal Voices: DACA, Data, and the Spirit of the Law," 2019 NACE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL (June 2019)
  • Presenter, “DACA, DAPA and Study Abroad” NAFSA Virginia International Educators Fall Conference, Washington and Lee University (October 2016)