Systems and methods for using a virtual machine fabric profiles to reduce virtual machine downtime during migration. An exemplary embodiment can provide a subnet manager (SM) and a virtual machine fabric profile that is accessible by the subnet manager, and where the virtual machine fabric profile includes a virtual host channel adapter (vHCA) configuration. The SM can receive a request to preregister the vHCA with a first physical host channel adapter (HCA) while the vHCA is already actively registered with a second physical HCA. The subnet manager can send the vHCA configuration to the first physical HCA for preregistration. After preregistration, the virtual link between the vHCA and a vSwitch of the first physical HCA can be left unestablished, until the SM determines that a virtual link between the vHCA and a vSwitch on the second physical HCA has been disconnected.