Agriculture H-2A Sponsorship Jobs in California
California is the largest H-2A visa employer in the United States, with growers in the San Joaquin Valley, Salinas Valley, and Coachella Valley filing thousands of H-2A job orders each season. Major agricultural operations including Wonderful Company, Dole, and Driscoll's regularly sponsor temporary agricultural workers for fruit, vegetable, and nut harvesting roles across the state.
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Field Workers: to perform the following duties on all row crop vegetables and leafy vegetables as specified herein.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
All crops:
Crop cleaning/weeding:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crops and in between product seed lines and use a long-handled hoe to clean out unwanted product.
- The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted leaves on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
- Weeding by hand is occasional/intermittent (20% or less of weekly work time).
- Employer complies with the California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3456, health and safety rules applicable to hand weeding.
Thinning:
- Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for the specified gap between seeds, and using a long-handled hoe, thin out any excess crop/seeds and/or weed on the seed line and leave the desired product and gap on the field.
- The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted weed on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
Hand “manual” Cleaning (“pellizco”):
- Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crop and in between product seedlings and have to bend and/or be on their knees to manually clean out unwanted product.
- The worker manually cleans the lot for any unwanted weed on the beds and seedlings and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
Transplant:
- Field workers to perform the following duties: Field workers work on the transplanting machine platform and/or walk on uneven furrows behind a transplanting machine.
- As the machine moves, the workers working on the machine platform manually load trays of product into the transplanting machine to be inserted automatically by the machine into the soil.
- As the machine moves forward, under the direction of the field supervisor, the workers walking behind the machine on uneven furrows have to carry trays of product.
- As field workers walk, they have to look for gaps not filled in by the transplanting machine. If there are gaps or product not transplanted correctly by the machine, the field worker has to manually grab the product from the tray, then bend at the waist and insert (plant it) in the bed (on soil).
Hand Transplant:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows and at the direction of a field supervisor use a shovel to gently remove plants from one part of the field and carry and replant them in another part of the field to even out a planting in case of seed failure, uneven planting, weather event, or other reason.
Irrigation:
- Field worker to perform the following duties:
Irrigation Flood:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows. Using a shovel, workers shape and/or remove soil gates within the furrow to give access or obstruct water flow in the field.
- Workers have to manually connect plastic irrigation pipes that connect the water source line into the field. These pipes weigh approximately 5lb, are 5ft in length, and 2’’ in width. All work is performed in the field.
Pre-Irrigation:
- Workers walk on wet uneven furrows and across beds. Field workers move within the field looking for any non-working or clogged sprinklers.
- Under the direction of the field supervisor, workers make sure sprinklers aren’t clogged or have any pipe disconnected.
- Pre-irrigation is used to water down soil and prepare the field prior to farming.
INTRODUCTION
Field Workers: to perform the following duties on all row crop vegetables and leafy vegetables as specified herein.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
All crops:
Crop cleaning/weeding:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crops and in between product seed lines and use a long-handled hoe to clean out unwanted product.
- The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted leaves on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
- Weeding by hand is occasional/intermittent (20% or less of weekly work time).
- Employer complies with the California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3456, health and safety rules applicable to hand weeding.
Thinning:
- Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for the specified gap between seeds, and using a long-handled hoe, thin out any excess crop/seeds and/or weed on the seed line and leave the desired product and gap on the field.
- The worker cleans the lot for any unwanted weed on the beds and seed lines and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
Hand “manual” Cleaning (“pellizco”):
- Workers walk in uneven furrows. Under the direction of the field supervisor, field workers look for weeds around crop and in between product seedlings and have to bend and/or be on their knees to manually clean out unwanted product.
- The worker manually cleans the lot for any unwanted weed on the beds and seedlings and takes it out of the field as instructed by the field supervisor.
Transplant:
- Field workers to perform the following duties: Field workers work on the transplanting machine platform and/or walk on uneven furrows behind a transplanting machine.
- As the machine moves, the workers working on the machine platform manually load trays of product into the transplanting machine to be inserted automatically by the machine into the soil.
- As the machine moves forward, under the direction of the field supervisor, the workers walking behind the machine on uneven furrows have to carry trays of product.
- As field workers walk, they have to look for gaps not filled in by the transplanting machine. If there are gaps or product not transplanted correctly by the machine, the field worker has to manually grab the product from the tray, then bend at the waist and insert (plant it) in the bed (on soil).
Hand Transplant:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows and at the direction of a field supervisor use a shovel to gently remove plants from one part of the field and carry and replant them in another part of the field to even out a planting in case of seed failure, uneven planting, weather event, or other reason.
Irrigation:
- Field worker to perform the following duties:
Irrigation Flood:
- Workers walk on uneven furrows. Using a shovel, workers shape and/or remove soil gates within the furrow to give access or obstruct water flow in the field.
- Workers have to manually connect plastic irrigation pipes that connect the water source line into the field. These pipes weigh approximately 5lb, are 5ft in length, and 2’’ in width. All work is performed in the field.
Pre-Irrigation:
- Workers walk on wet uneven furrows and across beds. Field workers move within the field looking for any non-working or clogged sprinklers.
- Under the direction of the field supervisor, workers make sure sprinklers aren’t clogged or have any pipe disconnected.
- Pre-irrigation is used to water down soil and prepare the field prior to farming.
H-2A Agriculture Job Roles in California
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Search Agriculture Jobs in CaliforniaAgriculture H-2A Sponsorship Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which agriculture companies sponsor H-2A visas in California?
California's largest H-2A visa sponsors include major growers and farm labor contractors operating in the Central Valley and coastal growing regions. Companies like Wonderful Company (pistachios, almonds, citrus), Dole Food Company, and large berry producers such as Driscoll's work with H-2A workers seasonally. Farm labor contractors, which consolidate H-2A hiring across multiple growers, account for a significant share of California's total H-2A job orders filed with the Department of Labor.
Which cities in California have the most agriculture H-2A sponsorship jobs?
The highest concentrations of H-2A agriculture jobs in California are in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly around Fresno, Bakersfield, Visalia, and Tulare, which anchor the state's nut, fruit, and vegetable production. The Salinas Valley near Salinas and Watsonville is a major hub for leafy greens and berry harvesting. The Coachella Valley around Indio and Coachella sees significant demand for date, citrus, and table grape workers earlier in the growing season.
What types of agriculture roles typically qualify for H-2A sponsorship?
H-2A sponsorship covers temporary or seasonal agricultural labor tied to a specific growing cycle. In California, qualifying roles include crop harvesters, field laborers, irrigation workers, tractor operators, pruners, and packinghouse workers when the work is seasonal in nature. The employer must demonstrate the position is tied to a defined season and that insufficient U.S. workers are available. General farm management and permanent year-round positions do not qualify under H-2A.
How do I find agriculture H-2A sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists H-2A agriculture jobs in California with verified sponsorship, letting you filter by location, crop type, and start date. Because H-2A roles are seasonal, job orders open and close on tight timelines aligned to harvest schedules, so checking Migrate Mate regularly matters. Salinas Valley vegetable and berry roles typically post in late winter, while San Joaquin Valley nut and stone fruit harvesting roles follow in spring and summer.
Are there California-specific rules that affect H-2A workers beyond federal requirements?
California's agricultural labor laws extend additional protections to H-2A workers that go beyond federal minimums. These include state overtime rules, Cal/OSHA heat illness prevention standards, mandatory rest and meal breaks, and housing inspection requirements stricter than federal DOL standards. Employers must also comply with California's Wage Theft Prevention Act, which requires written notice of employment terms. Workers should be aware that California's adverse effect wage rate, set annually, applies as the minimum for H-2A roles in the state.