Did this myself — more paperwork than expected, but genuinely routine in the end, not a fresh application from scratch.
Mei Chen ⭐ Helpful member
11 Jun 2026, 10:00
I arrived on one visa category and my situation has since changed enough that I think I need to switch to a different one, but everything I read online is about the initial application, not about changing course once you're already living here.
I don't know whether this is a relatively routine administrative step, a full fresh application in disguise, or something that risks my current status if it goes wrong. The uncertainty is honestly more stressful than the practical paperwork would be.
Has anyone actually switched visa categories after arriving rather than applying fresh from abroad? How complicated was it in practice, and is there anything you wish you'd known before starting the process, particularly around whether you can stay and work normally while it's being processed?