Ask an attorney. Don't end up jeopardizing your legal status over a few dollars.

hmm ok you are right. I wonder if there is a website where you can ask quick questions to immigrations attorneys

Most immigration attorneys would do a quick consult for a flat fee. Find a local one.

IANAL but I think it would depend on how such income is categorized. If it is considered as contract work, then no you can't. You can only legally work for your employer who is sponsoring your visa.

I agree with DarmokJalad1701, it's not worth risking it

Upvote, but also what are the most sponsored types of projects? I'd like to make a few bucks extra hacking away.

Right now I'm working on random webapps in node, nothing too special.

This is exactly my status too right now. I contribute to opensource here and there but apart from that its mostly hacking away at my own libraries, some of which are mildly popular (600stars)

They probably pay via 1099 which is risky. It’s the same vein as driving for Uber or renting your place out on Airbnb

yes, a 100% they can. look at the payouts of nodeJS or Nuxt or VueJS developers - and rightly so. Top contributors who fix a lot of bugs get payouts of 10,000+ USD every month.

lol sure hope so