Alex Vella, the president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, has lost a legal bid to challenge the cancellation of his visa, Australian media reported.

Vella, 61, had applied for special leave to appeal a decision by the Federal Court of Australia to ban the millionaire businessman and leader of the Rebels gang from returning to Australia from his native Malta.

On Friday, High Court Chief Justice Robert French and Justices Virginia Bell and Stephen Gageler handed down a unanimous decision not to allow Vella leave to appeal.

Mr Vella has been stranded in Malta, where he was born, since June last year after the immigration department cancelled his visa on character grounds.

The Rebels national president and his legal team sought special leave before the High Court in July, after he claimed he had been denied natural justice under the Migration Act.

At the time Mr Vella said he should be given a fair go.

"I worked. I paid my taxes. I vote," he said.

"Here I am stranded in a small country which I left to a country I love. I love Australia. It's my country."

Mr Vella previously challenged the government to release all the information it had against him.

His lawyer Peter Webb said it was unclear what aspects of his character did not fit the test to maintain his residency.