War brides and their children

Issue

Some media reports have implied that the citizenship status of Canadian war brides (women from outside Canada who married men serving in the Canadian armed forces in World War II) and the children they brought with them to Canada is in doubt.

Fact

During the war, thousands of young women from outside Canada met and married Canadian servicemen. These women are often referred to as “war brides.” When the war ended, most of the women and their children followed their husbands to start a new life in Canada.

When the Canadian Citizenship Act came into force in 1947, it created citizenship status for war brides who:

• immigrated to Canada before January 1, 1947, and
• were married before January 1, 1947, to a man who was born in Canada, who was naturalized in Canada, or who was a British subject living in Canada for at least five years.

The law also included a war bride’s child if the child was born outside Canada before January 1, 1947, and:

• had, at the time of birth, a parent who was born in Canada, or who was naturalized in Canada, or who was a British subject living in Canada for at least five years. If the child was born in wedlock, the parent in question had to have been the father; if the child was born out of wedlock, the mother.

If a child did not meet these provisions, the parents could apply for the child to acquire Canadian citizenship under other provisions.

Children born in Canada on or after January 1, 1947, automatically became Canadian citizens unless their parents were foreign diplomats.

Those who fall in this category and who haven’t taken steps previously to acquire the appropriate documents may be asked for proof of Canadian citizenship to obtain, for example, a Canadian passport. The required document can be obtained by applying for a citizenship certificate.

Questions?

We have updated our website to make it easier for people who have questions about their citizenship to determine what their situation is and to know what steps to take next.

Canadian citizens living in Canada can contact the CIC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100.