In November 2025, the UK Home Office introduced one of the biggest structural changes to immigration law in recent years. The former “Part 9: Grounds for Refusal” has now been replaced with a new, consolidated framework called “Part Suitability”.

This change affects every major visa category, Family, Work, Student, Visit, Settlement, and business routes.

Part Suitability strengthens the UK’s enforcement approach toward:

• Overstaying
• Deception / false documents
• Illegal working
• Immigration breaches
• Previous bans or poor compliance

This blog breaks down what has changed, what remains the same, and what these rules mean for applicants in 2025 and beyond.

1. What Is Part Suitability?

According to the November 2025 Statement of Changes and legal commentary:

• Part 9 has been fully removed and replaced with Part Suitability.
• All refusal grounds, cancellation powers, and compliance requirements are now grouped under this new framework.
• The Home Office now has clearer, stronger powers to refuse applications based on previous breaches or poor immigration history.

In short:
Your past compliance matters more than ever.

2. Overstaying

Overstaying has always been serious, but under Part Suitability, it is evaluated with zero-tolerance intensity.

Mandatory refusal can apply even for short overstays.

The Home Office can refuse applications if you:

• failed to apply before your visa expired
• overstayed without a valid reason
• left the UK after overstaying

Only two “disregard” categories remain:

• 30-day overstay (if it happened after 6 April 2017)
• 90-day overstay (if it happened before 6 April 2017)

These rules were previously in Part 9 but are now absorbed into Part Suitability.

Overstaying can trigger bans:

• 1-year ban
• 2-year ban
• 5-year ban
• 10-year ban (most severe)

Past overstays will be checked in ALL future applications

Even if the overstay occurred many years ago.

You may face refusal now even if a previous visa was eventually granted.

3. Fraud, Fake Documents & Misrepresentation

The new rules are uncompromising.

Under Part Suitability, ANY deception = refusal.

This includes:

• Fake bank statements
• Fake employment letters
• Edited PDFs
• Incorrect information
• Hiding key facts
• Not disclosing previous refusals, overstays, or bans

Consequences under the new rules:

• Immediate refusal
• Visa cancellation even after approval
• 10-year re-entry ban
• Permanent negative immigration history

The Home Office retains the right to reopen past files and cancel existing visas if deception is later discovered.

4. “Frustrating Immigration Control”

This is a newer term but now used aggressively within Part Suitability.

Behaviours that fall under this include:

• Using multiple identities or passports
• Not attending reporting appointments
• Working illegally
• Renting illegally
• Avoiding removal
• Claiming benefits you are not entitled to
• Entering or staying illegally

Outcomes:

• Visa refusal
• Cancellation of current permission
• Multi-year bans
• Loss of eligibility for routes like Settlement, Family visas or Visit visas

5. What This Means for Applicants Now

The UK immigration system is moving toward strict behavioural assessment.

Expect refusal if you have:
Past overstays
Use of fake or misleading documents
Previous visa cancellations
Illegal working
Suspicious travel patterns
Poor compliance with Home Office rules

This applies even if your current application meets all requirements.

6. Who Is Most At Risk Under the New Rules?

• Students who overstayed even a few days
• Visit visa applicants with weak travel history
• Workers who previously changed employers without permission
• People who submitted edited or “fixed” documents
• Applicants who hid a past refusal from another country
• Anyone previously removed or denied entry at the border

7. Most Important Tip (2025-onwards)

If you have EVER:

• overstayed
• breached conditions
• worked illegally
• used incorrect documents
• had a visa cancelled
• received a refusal
• made a “mistake” on a previous application