Step 2: Protect Your Potential Effective Date
If you have not filed yet and are still gathering evidence, you may want to establish an Intent to File.
An Intent to File can establish a potential earlier effective date while you finish preparing your claim.
How it works
The VA generally gives you one year after submitting an Intent to File to complete the applicable claim and potentially preserve that earlier date.
If you begin certain applications online while signed into a verified VA.gov account, the VA may automatically establish an Intent to File without requiring a separate paper form.
Learn about Intent to File:
VA Form 21-0966, Intent to File:
Already received your Nexus Letter?
Great. One of the pieces of medical evidence you intended to gather is already complete. If you are ready to file your claim, or are confident that you will be ready within the next year, submit your intent to file to get started.