Following the First World War , the Dominions developed distinct national identities . Britain formally recognised this at the 1926 Imperial Conference , jointly issuing the Balfour Declaration with all the Dominion heads of government , which stated that the United Kingdom and Dominions were autonomous and equal to each other within the British Commonwealth of Nations . Legislative independence of the Dominions was given legal effect after passage and ratification of the Statute of Westminster 1931 . Diverging developments in Dominion nationality laws and ever growing assertions of independence from London culminated with the creation of Canadian citizenship in 1946 . Combined with the approaching independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 , nationality law reform was necessary at this point to address ideas that were incompatible with the previous system
1926 Imperial Conference
1926 Imperial Conference
British subject