Timor-Leste to send 95 workers to New Zealand
The group includes 10 women and 85 men who will take up seven-month horticulture contracts.
Timor-Leste is arranging for 95 workers to leave for New Zealand in October and November 2026, Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment Rogério Araújo Memdonça said on 15 October. They will work in horticulture under contracts lasting seven months.
The workers were selected through recruitment conducted in 2026 and comprise 10 women and 85 men. The employment office, SEFOPE, is coordinating their deployment through its National Directorate of Overseas Employment. Memdonça named the four recruiting companies as Teamwork, MR. Apple, JCR and Fairfield Drchards.
Memdonça urged the workers to follow their agreements, remain within the RSE system and maintain contact with their families and authorities in New Zealand. He also said six additional employers interested in working with Timor-Leste could create opportunities to increase the number of workers sent there.
Teamwork worker representative Thalia Neca Pereira said she hoped the opportunity would improve life for herself and her family, despite the distance and the challenges of recruitment. She said adapting to another country's culture would also give her new experience.
