how long did ww2 war brides have to wait to apply for citizenship

WWII war brides generally had to wait two years of residence in the United States before they could apply for citizenship under the rules described in contemporaneous reporting on the War Brides Act. That same source also says they filed a preliminary petition before the two years were up, then a formal petition at the end of the two-year period.

What that meant

• The bride first had to enter the U.S. under the war brides provisions.

• She then had to complete two years of residence before becoming eligible to complete the naturalization step.

• The process involved both a preliminary petition and a formal petition at the two-year mark.

Small historical note

The War Brides Act itself helped foreign spouses of U.S. servicemen enter the country, but citizenship was a separate step that came later. In practice, the waiting period was about residence and eligibility for naturalization, not immediate citizenship on arrival.

TL;DR

For WWII war brides, the wait to apply for citizenship was about two years after coming to the United States.