Immigration Specialist (Independent Contractor - 1099)

EL PUENTE DE WILLIAMSBURG INC • New York, NY

1d • $33,654 - $33,654 • Onsite

About The Position

El Puente is seeking a compassionate, organized, and values-driven Immigration Specialist to serve as an Independent Contractor (1099) for a temporary, grant-funded engagement from August 10, 2026 through February 26, 2027. This is an opportunity to support individuals and families as they navigate complex immigration processes while helping to strengthen community knowledge, rights awareness, and pathways to stability. The Immigration Specialist will provide direct assistance with immigration-related applications, facilitate community education workshops, and build strong relationships with legal partners and advocacy organizations. Working closely with community members, external partners, and internal staff, this role will help ensure that El Puente's immigration services are responsive, culturally grounded, and aligned with the organization's broader commitment to justice, dignity, and self-determination.

About El Puente Founded in 1982, El Puente is a youth-centered human rights organization rooted in Brooklyn, New York and Puerto Rico, using the arts, education, and environmental justice as tools to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice. For over four decades, El Puente has been building community-led movements grounded in self-determination, where young people, families, and communities are not only participants, but leaders shaping the future of their neighborhoods and beyond. Through a holistic leadership and membership model, the organization creates spaces where culture, identity, and activism intersect. El Puente’s work spans Youth Leadership Centers across Brooklyn, a nationally recognized public high school, environmental justice initiatives, and organizing efforts that place community voice at the center of change. From local neighborhoods to global conversations, the organization continues to stand at the forefront of movements for equity, climate justice, and human rights. At its core, El Puente is deeply relational, intergenerational, and community-rooted. The work is dynamic and responsive, grounded in the lived experiences of the communities it serves. As the organization continues to grow, it remains committed to strengthening both its programs and the systems that sustain them, ensuring that its impact is not only powerful, but enduring.

The Role As an Independent Contractor (1099), the Immigration Specialist will lead El Puente's direct immigration support and community education efforts, ensuring that immigrant individuals and families have access to accurate information, trusted guidance, and meaningful connections to legal and community resources. The Immigration Specialist will also work closely with El Puente's contracted immigration attorney to coordinate and facilitate immigration legal clinics for community members. This role will provide one-on-one consultations, assist with the preparation and organization of immigration-related applications, and facilitate workshops focused on Know Your Rights, policy updates, and available services. The Immigration Specialist will also coordinate outreach efforts and strengthen partnerships with legal service providers, community-based organizations, and advocacy networks. In addition to direct service, this role will manage grant-funded immigration initiatives, ensuring that services are delivered effectively and that program outcomes, reports, and compliance requirements are met. This is both a deeply community-centered and highly organized role, ideal for someone who combines compassion and cultural responsiveness with strong attention to detail and a commitment to immigrant justice.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in immigration services, social services, community organizing, legal support, or a related field.
• Fluency in both English and Spanish is required to effectively serve and communicate with the communities supported by El Puente.
• Experience assisting individuals with immigration-related documentation and application preparation.
• Strong knowledge of immigration processes, legal rights education, and community resources.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends to meet community needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information in clear and accessible language.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail.
• Experience maintaining accurate records, service trackers, and program documentation.
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively across teams and partnerships.
• A demonstrated connection to El Puente’s mission and a genuine alignment with work rooted in justice, culture, and community.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with grant-funded programs and reporting.
• Experience facilitating workshops and community education sessions.
• Familiarity with New York City immigrant-serving networks and resources.

Responsibilities

• Provide initial consultations and assess community members’ needs, offering clear and culturally responsive guidance regarding immigration options, rights, and application processes.
• Assist individuals and families in gathering, preparing, and organizing documentation for immigration-related filings, including Form I-589, Form I-765, motions to change venue, and Form EOIR-33.
• Facilitate Know Your Rights workshops and community education sessions focused on immigration policies, legal rights, and available services.
• Maintain and regularly update immigration resource guides, referral trackers, and service documentation.
• Conduct outreach to raise awareness of immigration services and connect community members to legal, educational, and supportive resources.
• Coordinate and facilitate immigration legal clinics in partnership with El Puente's contracted immigration attorney, ensuring community members are connected to accurate legal information and services.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with legal service providers, community-based organizations, advocacy groups, and government agencies.
• Monitor changes in immigration policies and procedures to ensure services and educational materials remain accurate and up to date.
• Serve as a key representative of El Puente in immigration-focused coalitions and advocacy spaces, including collaboration with the New York Immigration Coalition.
• Organize public meetings, outreach events, and partner convenings that advance immigrant rights and civic participation.
• Implement and oversee all immigration-related grant activities.
• Track program outputs, outcomes, and community impact.
• Prepare and submit timely narrative and quantitative reports aligned with funder expectations.
• Coordinate internally to ensure immigration programming aligns with grant goals, compliance requirements, and reporting timelines.
• Manage grant rollovers and transitions to ensure continuity of services and successful completion of deliverables.

Benefits

• As an Independent Contractor (1099), this position is not eligible for employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, or other employee benefit programs.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level