"We respect the process, but it's not over yet," said Dave Sibley, Managing Director, MTV Networks Australia. "We're hopeful that when people tune in to MTV at seven o'clock on Sunday, they'll see Snoop Dogg on the red carpet."

MTV's managing director in Australia Dave Sibly told theage.com.au this afternoon MTV would be making the case with immigration on Snoop Dogg's behalf. "We're putting together some information to make a case as to why Snoop should be allowed to perform in Australia. "We have some dealing really on his behalf with immigration, but given the time difference we're helping collate the information for him," he said.

The music network will argue that Snoops popularity as a performer along with his good record in Australia should see him allowed in. "There is, in my opinion, a pretty good argument that there's a lot of people in Australia who would like to see him performs, and based the fact that he was here a couple of months ago without incident I would hope that we would be able to make a pretty strong case," Mr Sibly said.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said this morning Snoop Dogg was being issued with a notice of intention to cancel his visa after he failed to pass the requisite character test. Snoop Dogg, 35, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, pleaded no contest to felony gun and drug charges in the US earlier this month. "The reality is in relation to this man, that he was given a warning the last time, he has a whole string of convictions, and just two weeks ago I was told he was convicted on a number of charges again and sentenced to three years imprisonment on two, and three years imprisonment on another, with five years probation and a suspended sentence," Mr Andrews told Macquarie Radio.

"He has been denied entry into the United Kingdom because he was caught with others causing affray at Heathrow Airport (in London). "He doesn't seem the sort of bloke we want in this country."

Final warning Snoop Dogg was on his final warning with Australian authorities when he last entered Australia and now may be banned permanently from the country. The controversial rapper was allowed in Australia in February this year to film a video clip but a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews told theage.com.au that he had violated the conditions under which entered Australia in February following his latest conviction.

"We gave him a warming and since then he has been convicted and we have taken the view on character grounds that he's not to enter Australia. "He's also been rejected from the UK after an incident at Heathrow airport and the fact that he's involved in a gang in Los Angeles . . . he's not of fit character to enter this country," the spokeswoman said.

Snoop Dogg, 35, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, pleaded no contest to felony gun and drug charges in the US earlier this month. Mr Andrews' office said that Snoop had 28 days to show why he should not be banned from Australia permanently. The spokeswoman said that no special dispensation could be made just because Snoop was a big name rapper due to perform at the MTV music awards.

"So we're not playing favourites just because he's an internationally famous rapper and just because he's here for the MTV awards. "We can't let him come in because there might be someone with similar offences who is denied entry because they don't have a well known profile," she said.

Snoop Dogg toured Australia last year playing four large concerts. Snoop was recently banned from the United Kingdom and was arrested in Sweden for suspected drugs use. theage.com.au, with AAP