The federal government is acting to quickly deport foreign-born criminals convicted of violent or serious sexual offences.

The coalition plans to introduce legislation to parliament to close a loophole in migration character test laws. The proposed amendment will allow the government to refuse or cancel the visas of non-citizens who've been convicted and sentenced to at least two years' jail for serious offences, have served less than 12 months and are deemed a risk to the community. Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has told the Seven Network the government needs more power to deport more people.