The Fruit Picking Opportunity California’s fertile valleys and Mediterranean climate make it one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions. To support this thriving industry, farms across the Golden State are hiring visa-sponsored fruit pickers at wage rates of $12/hour or higher. As a fruit picker, you’ll harvest delicious crops like grapes, oranges, strawberries, peaches and more.
Companies across California’s massive Central Valley, along with farms in key regions like Bakersfield, Fresno, Salinas and the Coachella Valley, are offering these visa-supported seasonal agricultural jobs. No prior experience is required to start as on-the-job training is provided, though some farm work can be quite strenuous. Added benefits like housing options, piece-rate bonuses and profit-sharing may also be included.
About the Fruit Picker Role As a fruit picker, your main duties will involve:
- Handpicking ripe fruits from trees/vines using ladders and polesfruit baskets
- Pruning, tying and training plant vines
- Sorting and carefully packing harvested fruits into plastic bins/wooden crates
- Loading/unloading trucks with packed fruit crates
- Maintaining tools like pruning shears, picking poles etc.
You’ll be working outdoors exposed to the elements, often in the hot sun for hours, so physical strength, stamina and an ability to lift 50 lbs are required. Fruit pickers typically work long 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week during peak harvest periods like summer and fall.
The role is fast-paced and repetitive but also offers opportunities to take on more skilled roles like equipment operator, crew leader or facility worker with experience. Some pickers are also able retain their roles year-round by moving between different crop harvests.
Visa Sponsorship Details To attract a reliable seasonal workforce, California farms and agriculture companies are offering visa sponsorships, typically H-2A visas for temporary agricultural labor. Basic requirements for workers include:
- Being 18 years or older
- Passing health screening and background checks
- Having reliable transportation to get to work sites
- Prior farm work or similar outdoor labor experience is preferred
Housing camps with meals are generally provided for free for these seasonal roles lasting 6-10 months. Transportation from housing to work sites is also arranged. Opportunities to extend the contract, transfer between employers/crops, or apply for longer-term visas exist too.
Apply today for these lucrative fruit picker roles with visa sponsorship across California’s sprawling agricultural regions, from the Central Valley to Southern California.