Let us take a closer look at the HOPS program. These are agricultural jobs on farms in the UK related to harvesting strawberries, radishes, tomatoes, plums, and apples. There are also jobs in packaging and transporting the produce.
Duration: from three to six months. As a rule, the student decides the length of the trip by indicating it in the application form, but, unfortunately, the duration of the offered work does not always match what was stated (this applies to those students who want to work for more than three months). The question of extending the contract is decided by HOPS in England. This process is called Transfer to other farm. However, moving to another place is not always possible. Everything depends on how the new farm views the transfer - some accept students without any problems, one only needs to declare it, while others require confirmation of the student’s reliability from the previous farm.
Young men and women who have turned 19 can take part in the program, with the upper age limit being 25. A mandatory condition is that they must be full-time students at a higher education institution, preferably an agricultural or language one, since the second necessary condition is conversational knowledge of English. Without knowing the language, a student would not be able to contact HOPS for help if any difficulties arise. Out of 150 people, about five or six contact them per year, mainly because of unsuitable living conditions. The problem is solved by transferring to another farm, for which HOPS charges a fee of 20 pounds.
Payment for work, as everywhere in agriculture, is piecework. You receive what you earn. As a rule, it is four pounds per hour, which is stated in HOPS materials and in the invitation the student receives in order to check the employer’s rates. If a student works honestly eight hours a day, does not slack off, and does not take two-hour breaks, the average earnings are approximately that amount. If you work efficiently but your pay does not exceed two or three pounds per hour, this means the rates are too low and you should look into the reason. Much depends on weather conditions, the availability of the crop, and meeting the norm. With a favorable combination of all the above circumstances, the wage is from four pounds per hour. However, based on experience of previous years, the best male pickers earn $1,200 a month, not counting deductions for accommodation (21-27 pounds per week) and food expenses. Girls earn $800-900. Because they are physically weaker, while the quotas, unfortunately, are the same for everyone.
As for obtaining a visa, a personal visit to the consulate is required. The name, address, and phone number of the farm where the student will work are written into it. This means that the student has the right to work only on that particular farm, except when HOPS itself transfers him or her to another. Working anywhere else will be considered illegal and may lead to the student being deported.
Finding a farm takes about three to four months, so in order to join the program for April, you must submit your documents by December.