The Toronto-born sons of Russian spies who were models for the TV series ”The Americans” are Canadian citizens.

(Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell in The Americans / FX)

The decision by the Supreme Court upholds a Federal Court of appeal ruling that effectively affirmed the citizenship of Alexander and Timothy Vavilov, born to parents who used the aliases Donald Heathfield and Tracey Ann Foley, while secretly living in Canada and south of the border.

(Alex, Tim Vavilov in 2011/Family photo)

They were arrested nine years ago in the U.S. for conspiring to act as secret Russian agents.

The couple admitted to really being Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova.

A registrar concluded five years ago that the parents were employees of a foreign government while Russian spies, meaning their children could not be Canadian citizens; a decision that triggered the court battle.