New Zealand chef Deanna Waters Senf, now based in the United States, wants to come home to work but feel she is being "priced out" by the Government.
"I am a NZ citizen and chef who would love to return home to assist Aotearoa's restaurants with skilled labour," Waters Senf said.
"But one-way flights cost $5800 and mandatory quarantine is $3100, so I am effectively priced out of returning to my home country."
Waters Senf works as a chef, educator and advocate for local food in Oregon and is a survivor from last year's Labour Day fires that damaged more than 4000 structures and led to several fatalities.
"Since the fire I am on a track to return home as my property was almost destroyed. It was a devastating loss of property on top of the income loss from Covid-19's impact on both schools and restaurants in 2020," Waters Senf said.