HR-X Live! FAQs

HR-X Live! will take place at McCormick Place Convention Center, located at 2301 S. Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago, IL 60616. Select credential sessions and event programming will also take place at the Marriott Marquis Chicago and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, creating a connected campus experience throughout HR-X Live!

Registration to HR-X Live! includes the following:

• A curated learning journey aligned to your dimension and level, plus access to elective educational sessions across the conference.
• Admission to the SHRM Expo, including the opening reception.
• Networking opportunities onsite, as well as the ability to connect with others via the SHRM Events app and the HR-X Live! Attendee Portal.
• Complimentary lunch on Monday and Tuesday.

If you have additional reasonable accessibility and accommodations requests, please complete this form and be as specific as possible. To fulfill your requests, all accessibility and accommodations requests must be submitted by Sunday, June 13, 2027.

Contact your hotel directly if you have any hotel-specific accommodation requests. For all other questions, please contact SHRM Customer Experience.

Download the SHRM Events app from the Apple Store or Google Play store. Select HR-X Live! and sign in using your SHRM credentials associated with the email address used to register for HR-X Live!

An announcement will be made when the SHRM Events app is live.

How do I watch livestreamed or recorded sessions?

Preconference

Once the HR-X Live! Attendee Portal and SHRM Events app open, you can log in with the email address you used to register and favorite sessions or add them to your schedule.

During the Conference

Navigate to sessions you've favorited or added to your schedule or select from sessions in Now Playing and click the play button.

Postconference

Recordings for livestreamed sessions will be available to view up to 30-days post-conference. Navigate to the session in the schedule and click the play button.

Your credential is earned in one dimension, but a portion of each day is open for Elective Experiences — sessions outside your dimension so you can explore other areas and network broadly.

After registering, you'll receive a short set of questions about your work; based on your answers, we recommend the dimension and level where your time will have the greatest impact. You can accept that recommendation or select a different dimension. The choice is always yours.

Attend your required cohort sessions and complete the capstone lab. You can attend HR-X Live! without completing the capstone, but the credential is only awarded to those who finish it.

Fill out the group conference registration application.

Each group must consist of 5 or more registrants who are from the same company. All group members must be SHRM members or must purchase membership at the time of registration.

Complete the group registration application and SHRM will connect you with an existing group from your company.

In-person registration to HR-X Live! includes the following:

• Onsite access to all education sessions ranging from 20- to 60-minutes in length.
• Admission to the SHRM Expo, including the opening reception.
• Networking opportunities onsite, as well as the ability to connect with others via the SHRM Events app and the HR-X Live! Attendee Portal.
• Complimentary lunch on Monday and Tuesday.
• Access to the SHRM Expo catalog, including exhibitors, sponsors, and SHRM resources.

Due to the hands-on nature of the credentialing experience, we are not offering a virtual option for HR-X Live!

No; they're different and they work together. SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certify broad HR competency through a formal exam based on the SHRM BASK. The HR-X Credential is focused, applied capability in one dimension, demonstrated at the event. One doesn't replace or shortcut the other. In fact, earning HR-X Credentials can leave you better prepared to certify, or stronger as a certified practitioner. And HR-X Live! grants 30 Professional Development Credits toward your SHRM-CP/SCP recertification, so attending actively supports your certification.

Yes. The credential and the community aren't either/or. You'll still have the energy of thousands of HR professionals together with the SHRM Expo, evening experiences, main-stage moments, and a cohort of peers at your level. What's new is that you also leave with proof of what you can do.

You go deep in the dimension you choose, apply what you learn to real problems, and leave with a credential and a playbook. Electives let you explore widely and connect across the whole community. Breadth where you want it, depth where you need it.

Each person chooses their own dimension, so your team can divide and conquer: spread across dimensions to build credentialed depth across your whole function, then compare notes afterward. No one is forced into a dimension they didn't choose.

International attendees are strongly encouraged to register for HR-X Live! as early as possible and schedule any required U.S. visa appointments as soon as registration is confirmed. U.S. consular processing times remain slower in many countries, and appointment availability may be limited.

Early registration allows you to:

• Schedule a visa appointment sooner.
• Allow time for additional administrative processing.
• Adjust travel plans if delays or restrictions arise.

The U.S. State Department maintains a Global Visa Wait Times page, updated monthly, which provides estimated wait times for nonimmigrant visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates. Wait times vary significantly by location and may change based on local demand, staffing, and security requirements. Attendees are strongly encouraged to review this information and apply as early as possible.

SHRM recommends waiting until your visa has been approved before purchasing any non-refundable airfare or making non-changeable hotel arrangements. If you must book travel in advance, consider refundable or flexible booking options whenever possible.

Most international attendees will require a visitor visa (B-1/B-2) to enter the U.S. and attend HR-X Live! Visa requirements depend on your nationality, passport, and current immigration status. Attendees are responsible for determining their visa needs and complying with U.S. immigration laws.

SHRM cannot guarantee visa approval, cannot influence or expedite visa processing, and all visa decisions are made solely by the U.S. government.

Visa processing delays and refusals are outside SHRM's control.

Attendees should:

• Apply as early as possible.
• Monitor appointment availability regularly.
• Consult an immigration attorney if needed.

Under Presidential Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026, the United States has imposed full and partial entry restrictions on nationals of certain countries.

Full restrictions suspend the issuance of all immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including visitor visas.

Partial Restrictions suspend immigrant visas and certain nonimmigrant visas, including visitor, student, and exchange visitor visas.

If you are a national of a restricted country and do not already hold a valid U.S. visa as of January 1, 2026, you may not be eligible to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. and attend HR-X Live!

Additionally, effective May 18, 2026, the U.S. Embassies in Juba, South Sudan; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Kampala, Uganda have temporarily paused all visa services. This pause includes applications for immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant visas for tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, and all other nonimmigrant categories.

Below is a chart of the restrictions placed on designated countries by both Proclamations, by type and affected country.

Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10998, entry restrictions apply only to individuals who:

• Are outside the U.S. on the effective date of the proclamation (January 1, 2026), and
• Do not already have a valid U.S. visa on that date
• Important: Visas issued before the effective date of January 1, 2026, are not revoked.

The restrictions do not apply to:

• U.S. lawful permanent residents,
• Dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country,
• Certain diplomatic, NATO, and international organization visa holders,
• Athletes, support personnel, and immediate family members traveling for major international sporting events,
• Certain Special Immigrant Visa holders (including U.S. government employees),
• Ethnic and religious minorities from Iran applying for immigrant visas due to persecutions,
• Asylees and refugees already admitted.

If your country is subject to restrictions:

• New visitor visas (B-1/B-2) may not be issued,
• Participation in HR-X Live! may be limited to individuals who already have a valid U.S. visa or qualify for an exception.

Are Waivers Available?

• Case-by-case national interest waivers may be granted in limited circumstances by the U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security. Waivers are possible, but rare and not guaranteed.

Visas issued before January 1, 2026, are not revoked under the current proclamation. However, admission to the United States is always determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of entry.

As of December 2025, the U.S. Department of State requires most nonimmigrant visa applicants to schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or legal residence. Nationals of countries where the U.S. is not conducting routine visa operations must apply at a designated embassy or consulate for their region. Applicants must generally be able to demonstrate proof of residence if applying based on residency. Applicants who schedule interviews outside of their country of nationality or residence may face longer wait times, difficulty qualifying, and non-refundable fees.

Visa applicants are encouraged to visit the websites of their local U.S. embassy or consulate for detailed information on visa application requirements, procedures, and the current operating status and services offered.

Last updated January 8, the State Department has begun allowing individuals from countries subjected to the updated travel ban to travel to the U.S. for business/conference/tourism if they post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The bond amount is determined at the visa interview and does not guarantee visa approval. Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury's online payment platform Pay.gov.

As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry, which includes all commercial air ports of entry, including CBP preclearance locations in:

• Canada
• Caribbean
• Ireland
• United Arab Emirates

A full list can be found at U.S. Customs and Border Protection's website on preclearance.

Visa bond holders may NOT use charter air, general aviation, land, or sea ports of entry.

Bonds will be automatically canceled and refunded if:

• DHS confirms the traveler's departure on or before their authorized stay, or
• The traveler does not use the visa before it expires, or
• The traveler is denied admission at the port of entry.

For citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — countries recently added to the partial travel restriction list — this provides a pathway to enter the United States.

Below is the current list of countries that are subject to the Visa Bond:

Global delegations are encouraged to attend HR-X Live! Delegation benefits include:

• Assistance with visa invitation letters
• Discounted HR-X Live! registration rates
• Special global programming onsite

If you are interested in organizing a delegation, please complete this form to discuss available options and begin the coordination process with a member of the SHRM global team.

U.S. visa policies, consular operations, and entry restrictions can change with little notice. International attendees are responsible for monitoring official U.S. government guidance and planning accordingly.