The Maine Department of Labor has posted translations in Somali, Arabic, French, Lingala, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, and Spanish of materials about COVID-19 and Unemployment Insurance.
The link to the translations is:https://www.maine.gov/labor/covid19/faq/index.shtml
A wide range of questions are addressed in translation about unemployment benefits. Here is a sampling:
Q. Are immigrants and asylum-seekers eligible for UI ?
A. If immigrants or asylum-seekers have work authorization to work in the U.S. and lose their job due to COVID-19, they should apply for unemployment (preferably through the online system, available 24/7). MDOL will review the claim on a case-by-case basis as we would all other claims and make a determination about eligibility.
Q. What should a refugee or asylee—who has an 1-94 but not a green card or work permit—do when the unemployment application asks for their “A Number?”
A. Please use your 11-digit I-94 number for this purpose (even though the application will say “A Number,” it is the I-94 number that is needed).
Q. How long does the individual have to work to qualify for unemployment? What is “monetary eligibility”?
A. Unemployment insurance depends on being “monetarily eligible” by review of wages earned over the last five full calendar quarters. Four consecutive quarters within that timeframe must have earnings of at least $5,140.74 and two of the four quarters must have earnings of at least $1,713.58. These amounts are set annually based on the average weekly wages earned by Maine workers. The amount of benefits and the length of time someone can collect are based on how much you earn. For more information, please visit https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/claimsfaq/ . 27.
Q. What is the maximum UI benefit and what is the average UI benefit?
A. In Maine, the maximum weekly benefit amount is $445.00. The average weekly benefit amount is roughly $340.00
