{"id":"F2009L01779","name":"Migration Act 1958 - Revocation of section 499 Direction No. 21","slug":"migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":78720,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2009L01779-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Migration Act 1958 - Revocation of section 499 Direction No. 21","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nCommonwealth of Australia\n\n \n\nMigration Act 1958\n\n \n\n \n\nREVOCATION OF SECTION 499 DIRECTION NO 21\n\n(SECTION 499)\n\n \n\n \n\nI, CHRIS EVANS, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, acting under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958 (‘the Act’):\n\n \n\nREVOKE ‘Direction No 21 – Visa Refusal and Cancellation under section 501’, signed on 23 August 2001.\n\n \n\n \n\nThis instrument (IMMI 09/047) commences on 15 June 2009.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nDated          3 June 2009\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nCHRIS EVANS\n\n \n\nMinister for Immigration and Citizenship\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n[Note: Subsection 499(1) of the Act empowers the Minister to give to a person or body having functions or powers               under the Act written directions not inconsistent with the Act or the Regulations, in accordance with which the               person or body shall perform those functions and exercise those powers.  The person or body must comply with               the direction.]\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1775},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument serves exactly its intended purpose: to revoke Direction No 21. It has not expanded beyond this specific, limited function."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision (revocation of one named instrument)","No defined terms within the instrument","No conditional logic, cross-references, or exceptions","One-page document with straightforward, singular purpose"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:** This instrument cancels (revokes) a previous ministerial direction known as \"Direction No 21\" from 2001.\n\n**Who it affects:** This affects Department of Immigration staff and tribunals who decide whether to refuse or cancel visas on character grounds.\n\n**Why it matters:** Direction No 21 provided mandatory guidelines for handling visa refusals and cancellations under **section 501** of the Migration Act—the section that deals with the \"character test.\" By revoking this direction, the Minister removed those specific rules. From 15 June 2009, decision-makers were no longer bound by Direction No 21 when assessing whether someone's character made them unsuitable to hold a visa.\n\n**Key detail:** This does not replace Direction No 21 with new rules here; it simply removes the old guidance, leaving decision-makers to follow the general law (or any subsequent directions) until new guidance was issued."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21","history":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21/history","analysis":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/migration-act-1958-revocation-of-section-499-direction-no-21/documents"}}