Character · Section 501 · MARN 1576536
Character and section 501 consultation
Character notices carry some of the shortest deadlines in migration law. Keshab Chapagain, a registered migration agent since 2015 (MARN 1576536) with more than 10 years and hundreds of cases, reviews notices of intention to refuse or cancel, section 501 refusals and cancellations, and revocation requests, and sets out what a truthful, properly supported response needs.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed November 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Consultation
- A$330 · 30 min · or A$550 · 60 min
- Credited
- In full if you engage us
- Deadlines
- Often days — check your notice
- Approach
- Full, truthful disclosure
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Who this is for
- Visa holders or applicants who received a notice of intention to consider refusal or cancellation on character grounds.
- People whose visa was refused or cancelled under section 501, including mandatory cancellations after a prison sentence, and their families.
- Applicants with a conviction, a pending charge or an AVO who are about to apply for a visa or citizenship and want to disclose it properly.
- Visitors from the US, UK, Canada and elsewhere with a criminal record who need a visitor visa rather than an ETA or eVisitor (see DUI and travel to Australia).
What the consultation covers
- The deadline and the process. Which provision the notice or decision relies on, the time limit, and whether the next step is a response to the Department, a revocation request or a review.
- What is being weighed. The information the decision-maker has, and the considerations that apply, such as the protection of the community, the strength of family and community ties, the best interests of any children, and how long you have lived in Australia.
- What a response needs. The kinds of truthful evidence that commonly matter: court records and sentencing remarks, rehabilitation and treatment evidence, employment, and statements from family and community. Nothing is to be omitted or minimised.
- Your options and the cost. What we would prepare if you engage us, with a fixed written quote.
The consultation is confidential and general to the documents you show us. It is not a prediction of the decision.
What to bring
- The notice or decision, with every page and attachment.
- Court documents: charge sheets, the record of conviction, sentencing remarks, and any parole or court orders.
- Police certificates you already hold, from Australia and overseas.
- Your visa grant notice or VEVO, and a list of family members in Australia (with their visa or citizenship status).
Who advises you
Keshab Chapagain, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1576536), registered since 2015, more than 10 years in practice and hundreds of cases. Consultations are confidential and can be in English, Nepali or Hindi. Families may book on behalf of a person in detention or custody; the consultation is about the documents available. About Keshab.
Price and booking
A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, or A$550 for 60 minutes for a cancellation, a revocation request or a long history. The fee is credited in full toward your professional fee if you engage the practice. If your deadline is within days, say so when booking. Book a character consultation →
In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Deadline close? Book the first available time.
Bring the letter and the dates. Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads it with you, tells you what can still be done before the deadline and what it costs.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: Passport bio page, current visa grant or VEVO check, and whatever papers exist.
- Prefer no call? The written pathway check is done in writing, A$550.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
I received a notice of intention to refuse or cancel on character grounds. What now?
Read the deadline on the notice first: responses are usually due within days or a few weeks, and a late response may not be considered. The notice sets out the information the decision-maker is considering. A response that addresses each point with truthful, supported evidence is far stronger than a general plea. Book the consultation with the notice in hand.
My visa was cancelled under section 501 while I was in prison. Can it be revoked?
A mandatory cancellation can be the subject of a request for revocation, but the request must be made within the strict time limit in the notice (commonly 28 days). The decision-maker weighs factors such as the protection of the Australian community, family ties and the best interests of children. The consultation sets out what the request needs; it cannot predict the result.
Should I declare an old or minor conviction?
Yes. Visa forms ask about convictions and charges anywhere in the world, including spent or expunged ones in many cases, and a false or incomplete answer can itself lead to refusal or cancellation, often with worse consequences than the conviction. We will never advise leaving anything out. What we do is help you present the full, truthful history with the context and evidence that matter.
What counts as a substantial criminal record?
Under section 501 a person has a substantial criminal record if, among other things, they were sentenced to 12 months or more of imprisonment (including where sentences are added together) or to death or life imprisonment. Failing the character test that way does not automatically end every visa case, but the threshold matters for what happens next.
Can you guarantee my visa will not be cancelled?
No. Character decisions involve discretion, and no registered migration agent can honestly promise an outcome. The consultation tells you where your case stands and how to present it properly.
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