Margaret Tate is a Canadian executive editor-in-chief of a New York book publishing company. Due to her pushy personality, she is disliked by her employees. Margaret learns from her superior Chairman Bergen that her visa renewal application has been denied due to visa term violation and she faces deportation back to Canada. Not wanting to lose her position and life in New York, she blackmails her much abused assistant Andrew Paxton into marrying her so she can get a green card. She reminds Andrew that if she is deported, the work he put in as her assistant will be lost, which will set back his dream to become an editor.

U.S. immigration agent Gilbertson informs them that he suspects they are committing fraud to avoid Margaret's deportation. Gilbertson tells them that they will be asked questions about each other separately. If their answers do not match, Margaret will be deported to Canada permanently and Andrew will be convicted of a felony punishable by a $250,000 fine and five years in prison. Andrew insists that Margaret make him an editor after their marriage and publish the book he has been recommending to her. Margaret is forced to agree.

The couple travels to Sitka, Alaska, Andrew's hometown, to meet his family. Margaret meets Andrew's mother Grace and grandmother Annie, known as "Gammy". During the trip to the family home, Margaret notices that nearly every shop in town carries the name Paxton and learns that Andrew's family is in fact very wealthy. During a welcome home party, Andrew confronts his father Joe, who is angry about Andrew dating the boss he has so long disliked and believes he is using her to get ahead in his career. After their argument, Andrew announces the engagement to everyone. Margaret also meets Gertrude, Andrew's ex-girlfriend. At the party, they invent the story of how Andrew proposed to Margaret.

The next day, Grace and Annie take Margaret to a local bar as part of her bachelorette party to watch a strip dance by locally famous but over-the-hill exotic dancer Ramone. Stepping away from the show, Margaret learns from Gertrude that Andrew wanted to become an editor and make his own life and that Andrew had proposed to Gertrude. However, Gertrude refused because she did not want to leave Sitka for New York. Margaret also learns of the conflict between Andrew and Joe. That night, Margaret asks Andrew about his relationship with his father, but Andrew refuses to talk. Instead, Margaret opens up to him.

The next day, the family convinces them to marry while they're in Sitka. Margaret realizes how close and real Andrew's family is, and this moves her deeply especially because of the deception. She gets on Andrew's boat, and speeds away with him. She admits she has been alone since she was sixteen years old after her parents died, and had forgotten what it felt like to have a family. She lets go of the helm and stumbles to the back of the boat. Andrew makes a sharp turn to avoid hitting a buoy and Margaret falls out of the boat. Andrew quickly turns the boat around and saves her because she cannot swim. Meanwhile, suspicious Gilbertson has turned up in Sitka ready to charge Andrew with fraud. At the wedding, Margaret stops the ceremony by confessing the truth to the guests and Gilbertson. Gilbertson informs her she has 24 hours to leave for Canada.