Why does my appeal at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) take so long, and what is the Board doing about it?

The Board understands that many Veterans and appellants have been waiting a long time for a decision. We acknowledge that this wait can be very frustrating and want to explain why getting a Board decision can take a long time, and what options are available to Veterans and appellants that may reduce the time they have to wait for a decision. The Board also recognizes that each case is based on a unique set of facts and circumstances that Board judges must carefully evaluate and appropriately resolve according to governing laws, regulations, and choices that Veterans make about how they want their appeals to be reviewed.

The Board finished a three-year hiring plan in FY 2024 that substantially increased the number of judges, attorneys, and staff necessary to conduct hearings and decide more appeals at a faster rate. As a result, pending appeals dropped during each of the past three years (FY 2023-2025), and wait times, which peaked in FY 2024, have started to decrease considerably. As shown in the graph below, the current average days pending (ADP) for all AMA appeals is considerably better than the ADP for the Legacy system. It gets even better when looking at the specific AMA dockets. For the Direct Review docket, the fastest appeal option, wait times are at an all-time low at just under 7 months. For those with an Evidence Submission, wait times are close to 8 months. Finally, for those that choose a Hearing with a Veterans Law Judge, wait times currently stand at 2.4 years and falling.