Plain-language meaning
The Board may decide that it cannot issue a final decision until VA completes specific work. The remand order identifies that work, which may include obtaining records, arranging an examination, or correcting another error. The office handling the remand—not the Board—performs those actions.
Modernized and legacy appeals differ
VA says that a modernized appeal generally concerns a decision issued on or after February 19, 2019. After VA completes a remand in that system, it issues a new decision and the appeal does not automatically return to the Board. In a legacy appeal involving an earlier decision, the appeal returns to the Board after VA completes the required work and issues the applicable notice.
What the term does not mean
- A remand is not approval of the benefit.
- It is not a final denial of the remanded issue.
- It is not the same as filing a Supplemental Claim or requesting a Higher-Level Review.
- It does not mean the person should submit a new Board Appeal for the same remanded issue immediately.
Practical example
If the Board finds that VA should have obtained identified federal records before deciding an issue, it may remand that issue with instructions to request the records and reconsider the claim. VA may ask the claimant for information needed to locate them.
What to do
Read every instruction in the Board decision, respond to VA requests, attend any scheduled examination, keep contact details current, and save copies. The next route depends on whether the appeal is modernized or legacy and on the new decision VA issues.
Related terms
- New and relevant evidence
- What happens after a Board remand?
- Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review