Financial Resources for Immigrant Freelancers

It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the economy hard, and many workers and families are struggling financially. Most people have no idea how to tackle their budget in COVID-19. Federal and state government is doing their best to provide relief to workers who have, for example, lost their jobs or who need to take time off to take care of their health. 

Unfortunately, not all of these options are available to independent contractors. As an independent contractor, do any benefits apply to you? Do you have any options or relief packages you can make use of? Let’s take a look.

COVID-19 Financial Obstacles for Independent Contractors

As an independent contractor (or “gig” worker), you generally don’t have the same benefits available to you that most employees have. These are benefits like income security, paid sick leave, and paid time off. 

Due to coronavirus, most cities and states are implementing their own version of lockdown and quarantine. As a result, many businesses have had to shut down permanently, leaving many without jobs. As an independent contractor, this shut-down has most likely also affected you. Perhaps you aren’t able to work your regular shifts anymore or aren’t able to work at all. 

People who were classified as employees before the pandemic have a variety of COVID-19 financial relief options available to them to help them through this time. Unfortunately, the same isn’t available to you if you are an independent contractor. 

Let’s start with Unemployment Insurance. Unemployment Insurance is available to all workers who were classified as “employees”, and this is usually the first line of protection for workers in hard economic times. Unemployment Insurance provides workers with a form of income if they’ve lost their jobs. In some situations, certain independent contractors can qualify for Unemployment Insurance, but this is not guaranteed for all. 

The second challenge independent contractors face is the issue of paid sick leave. Paid sick leave is important under normal circumstances for individual wellbeing and public health. It is even more critical in the middle of a health pandemic. Ten states and twenty-three localities have passed paid sick day laws but unfortunately, these are also only available to workers classified as employees. Even the federal coronavirus package, which was recently approved by the Senate, only provides for paid sick leave for certain employees. 

The challenge with no paid sick leave being available to independent contractors is you often don’t have the choice to stay at home if you’re sick. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid, and most people don’t have the cash to forego their income for a few weeks. But if you do work, you could pose a health risk to everyone you come in contact with. 

Paid time off or paid family leave is the third big lack of benefit many independent contractors face. Even if it is unpaid, at least having job security when you come back from leave would help. The federal coronavirus package makes 12 weeks of job-protected leave available to certain employees. This is again not available to independent contractors. Even if you don’t get sick and need sick leave, closing daycare centers and schools mean someone has to take care of your family. Most probably, you will need to be away from work to do this. For independent contractors, either you don’t get paid while you do this, or you possibly don’t have work left when you get back. 

These challenges are very real, and you probably feel like you don’t have many options. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of useful sights and possible COVID-19 relief for independent contractors.                          

COVID-19 Relief for Independent Contractors

As an independent contractor, you might still have a few options left for COVID-19 relief. There is a wealth of resources out there that will help you navigate this difficult time. Let’s take a look.  

Freelancers Union

Freelancers Union was founded in 1995. This union provides insurance benefits and policy advocacy for independent contractors. It will definitely be worth your while to take a look at their page. Freelancers Union offers an online hub to help you navigate the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve got info on what government relief programs are available to freelancers and also provide updates on house insurance, housing protection, and many other topics.

You don’t have to be a member of the Freelancers Union to explore their useful coronavirus resources. Their website states they’ll keep their info up to date with any new developments.

If you are interested, however, becoming a member of Freelancers Union is free. As a member of the Freelancers Union, you will have access to things like networking events, an insurance benefit marketplace, and different training opportunities.

Gig Workers Rising

Gig Workers Rising is specifically aimed at app and platform workers, such as Lyft or Uber drivers. The purpose is to provide a resource and advocacy group.

Even if you aren’t a platform or app worker, Gig Workers Rising still has a COVID-19 resources page. Here you will find useful tips on how to apply for benefits and hardship funds or even how you can protect yourself during the pandemic if you are a rideshare driver or food delivery worker. Even though a lot of the information is specifically applicable to California, there is also general information that will be useful in any state. 

COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources

If you are a freelance artist, you can go check out the COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources page. This page was created by four freelance producers who wanted to provide guidance specifically to freelance artists.

You will find an exhaustive list of emergency funding resources for immediate relief on the page. These funding options are for different artistic disciplines in various locations. There are also live panel discussions, health and mental support, and legal resources available.

PHLEARN

PHLEARN is usually used for online tutorials on creative software. It has also now put together a comprehensive list of coronavirus resources that can be used by the creative community. You will find information on free online courses, places you can sell your work online, and U.S. and international artist grants that are available. 

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)

Even though the New York Foundation for the Arts is based in New York, its COVID-19 resource list has relief options for independent contractors across the country. Their list has categories for health, housing, legal, financial, and public assistance resources. 

Its page also has an extensive list of emergency grants available (with the applicable deadlines) and also information on when past grants which have closed might reopen. 

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a campaign platform used for funding. They’ve also now launched a resource page for artists. They have immediate and long-term grant opportunities, resources on how to apply for federal coronavirus relief, and legal aid options. There is also information on how nonprofit organizations can work around the pandemic.  

Conclusion

Even though the coronavirus pandemic hits independent contractors, especially hard, there is no use sitting in a corner. Do as much research as you can and see whether there are any grants or relief options you can make use of. The tips provided by the different resource pages might just help you navigate through this pandemic successfully so you can get out better on the other side. 

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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