Introduction Of Part Suitability To The Immigration Rules

1. From Part 9 to Part Suitability: A Significant Reform

On 14 October 2025, the Home Office published a wide-ranging Statement of Changes which, among other changes, deletes Part 9 (Grounds for Refusal) and inserts a new Part Suitability into the Immigration Rules. The Explanatory Memorandum to the Statement of Changes confirms that this new part of the rules will now serve as the "central reference point for all suitability-related refusal and cancellation grounds". The changes discussed in this article will come into force on 11 November 2025.

Previously, the vast majority of routes (though not all, as set out below) required decision-makers to consider whether an application should fall for refusal under Part 9 (the General Grounds for Refusal). The deletion of this part of the rules and its replacement with Part Suitability is therefore a significant overhaul to the current structure of the rules.