Alex Piletska
Senior Associate

Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law

Alex Piletska has a wealth of experience in private immigration and is able to advise on a wide range of cases, including family and human rights applications, as well as skilled work migration. She has a particular interest in complex citizenship and nationality cases, vanishingly tricky Adult Dependent Relative applications, Judicial Review and technical procedural issues like validity and variations.

After studying English at the University of Cambridge, Alex was awarded a First in her Cognitive Psychology BA at the Open University, before completing an MSc in Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex in 2014. Alex was awarded a Merit in her Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at the University of Sussex, where her freelance writing career began.

Alex previously worked at Turpin Miller LLP from 2017 to 2025, where she qualified as a solicitor in August 2020. She simultaneously completed her LLM (LPC) with the University of Law, achieving a Distinction (80%). Alex was promoted to Joint Head of the Private Immigration team before leaving to join Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law working across all UK immigration and nationality law matters in September 2025.

She contributes regularly to Free Movement, a popular immigration and asylum blog, and LexisNexis, where she serves on the panel of experts and the Q&A panel.

Alex is a co-founder of the award-winning Ukraine Advice Project UK, a non-profit initiative set up to link qualified lawyer volunteers to Ukrainians affected by the conflict seeking free legal immigration and asylum advice. To date, the pro bono project won multiple awards, signed up more than 600 lawyers and helped more than 4,000 families escaping the conflict.

She is ranked an “associate to watch” (Human Rights, Asylum and Deportation) in Chambers and Partners 2023, 2024 and 2025. She was also ranked as an EDI (‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’) Champion in 2023 and 2024; and she is ranked in the Legal 500 as a “key lawyer” in 2024 and 2025.

Alex is a keen mushroom forager, she loves to read and she never says no to a game of D&D.

Recent articles posted by Alex Piletska

Alex Piletska reports on the earned settlement consultation for techUK

Why the settlement consultation matters to the tech sector- Alex Piletska’s briefing for techUK
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family member join on visa

by Alex Piletska

Children with one settled or British parent may benefit from new ruling
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British citizenship

Alex Piletska writes in Free Movement

Alex Piletska on a case with implications for British or settled parents
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British citizenship

Alex Piletska writes in Free Movement

Alex Piletska writes legal briefing on the ‘Earned Settlement’ consultation for Free Movement
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Home Secretary presents ILR proposals to parliament

Alex Piletska on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's statement on the increased path to settlement

What we know about the UK’s ‘earned settlement’ ILR changes and consultation
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by Alex Piletska

New suitability rules for spouse visas and other family applications
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